Few branch lines in the UK are as well loved and vociferously championed as the one linking Temple Meads to Avonmouth and Severn Beach. The user group Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR), has campaigned for many years for improved services, and continues to argue that rail should be given a higher priority in the Bristol area's transport mix.

In response the city council has increased funding to the Severn Beach line, improving the service and boosting passenger numbers by a third since May 2008. Along with other campaign groups, FOSBR continues to argue for a reopening of the line between Bristol and Portishead, which would require the relaying of some three miles of track between Portbury and the rapidly growing North Somerset town.

The creation of a Greater Bristol Metro system of improved suburban rail links is also on the agenda.