Repair and Resurface the BaNES Bath to Bristol Railway Path Section

The Bath to Bristol Railway Path is 40 years old this year. In that time BaNES has allowed the path to slowly degrade despite it becoming more and more popular for walking and, particularly, cycling. In parts it is extremely 'lumpy', uncomfortable, and dangerous.

The recent resurfacing of the railway path at Bitton has shown how an inclusive smooth surface can make a big difference to the people that can enjoy it and the comfort levels when cycling on it. That section is a real joy to use.

With the recent declaration of a Climate Emergency by BathNES, the council needs to do all it can to make active travel modes attractive. The path is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and Sustrans has recently been awarded £1.1M by the Department of Transport to fix many of the overcrowding issues on the railway path at the Bristol end. This is an opportune time for BathNES Council Highways to co-ordinate with Sustrans and resurface the Bath end of the railway path.

BaNES Highways Department is responsible for the state of the railway path. We are asking Highways to include the B2B section in its 2020-21 resurfacing program and make it good for another 20+ years.

The work, coordinated with Sustrans, should include:
- Siding out the path re-establishing the full width of the path.
- Repairing root damage and subsidence.
- Adding a 1m wide maintenance mow strip either side of the path for easy long-term maintenance.
- Resurfacing the 40 year old surface to the standard done on the Bitton section of the B2B, providing an inclusive smooth surface that all people can use comfortably.

The Bath to Bristol Railway path is probably the council's best walking and cycling traffic free route and has been neglected for decades. With the railway path celebrating its 40th birthday, it's time the council gave it a present that preserves it for the next 40 years.