Sadly our local paper often looks like it has been compiled by people with zero knowledge of anything, report after report is flawed and poorly written, sadly I am blocked from posting in the comments section for pointing out many errors in previous reports

This article is just another lot of nonsense

Even though money has been approved for new lifts etc, the feeling amongst staff at the station is "we'll believe it when we see it"

 

That's really interesting.  It's 61 1/4 miles from Bathampton, where it would leave the overhead, to Redbridge where it would pick up the Third Rail.  Going that whole way on the batteries seems ambitious so I guess they'd want a bit more electrification around Salisbury?

 
If Filton and Chippenham to Bristol TM  is wired then GWR have said they will deploy a battery fitted emu on the Cardiff to Portsmouth Harbour service

 

I would think he is too junior to be announcing things such as this, although he may be looking at previous plans and assuming they will happen one day. I can't see the need for the often-used "sources close to the minister" leak to test the reaction, as in Weston, the reaction will be either positive or indifferent.

 
Journalistic error excluded, he's on public record now saying that there will be some form of electrification on a loop off a currently non electrified main line.  This is hardly going to go unnoticed in the railway world.
I'm wondering whether this was an intentional release by the government or if 'clarification" or retraction might follow shortly.

 
It's going to be really interesting to see what the full announcement is when it comes because what the Weston MP says strongly implies completing electrification into Bristol itself from the north and east, somehow coping with the low bridge immediately south of Temple Meads and then down to Weston and maybe even to Taunton.   If the Severn Beach, Henbury and - fingers crossed - Portishead lines are done too, then the only DMUs going through Bristol will be the Cardiff - Portsmouths and CrossCountry, meaning the Turbos would be replaced by EMUs in the Bristol area.

This Weston announcement also implies that Portishead will be given the go ahead as I can't see you'd electrify to Weston and say no to reopening Portishead, particularly given all the work that has been done on that scheme over many years now.

We'll see soon enough, I'm sure.

 

The article doesn't explain, but one of the incoming ideas is discontinuous electrification.   In fact at the WWRUG committee meeting last night, we were looking at the future of rolling stock for Cardiff <-> Portsmouth  and wondered if charging ramps at major stops, based on there Wealing experiment, might be a future?   Three minutes at each of Bristol Temple Meads (where the train reverses anyway), Westbury and Salisbury, perhaps?   

Make a benefit out of the feature at Salisbury. Imagine ...
1. the train from Portsmouth arrives and puts its shoe down
2. the train from Waterloo to Exeter arrives and departs
3. the train onward to Cardiff lifts its shoe and carries on.

And I can imaging at Westbury a similar setup with the hourly Cardiff - Portsmouth and the hourly Oxford - Weymouth making 2 way connections.

 
The Weston Mercury has an article covering local MP Dan Aldridge announcing, among other local rail improvements, the electrification of the W-S-M loop.
I'm curious as to how this is intended to work given that the nearest electrified lines are north of Bristol.
Article link below.

https://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/24912587.rail-station-upgrades-400-new-homes-confirmed-weston/