THE leader of North Somerset Council has welcomed the news that plans for the Portishead to Bristol railway line could be made a reality.

At a Full Council meeting held on January 9, Cllr Mike Bell was given authority to push on with the final stages of the plan.

Posting on Facebook yesterday, Cllr Mike Bell said: "I'm really pleased that North Somerset councillors backed giving me the authority to push on with the final stage of approvals for the Portishead to Bristol railway line at a meeting last night.

"By connecting 50,000 residents back into the rail network, the long-awaited Portishead to Bristol line stands to be transformative for both North Somerset and the region.

"Not only would it provide better connections for Portishead and Pill, but it would offer green alternatives to getting around, cutting road traffic with expected train journeys of just 23 minutes.

"I'd to thank our partners at West of England Combined Authority and Network Rail for their role in preparing the Full Business Case to date. We look forward to continuing work together as the project progresses.

"Should the Full Business Case be approved by the DfT, work could start as early as August this year on the project."