Ashley Down railway station is a railway station in Bristol, serving the Ashley Down area.[1] It opened on 28 September 2024.[2]
The West of England Combined Authority planned to open a new railway station on the site of the disused Ashley Hill railway station which closed in 1964, as part of the MetroWest scheme.[3] The reopening was supported by Bristol City Council, Network Rail, local MPs and local rail groups,[4] and provides rail access to local colleges, the Memorial Stadium, home of Bristol Rovers Football Club, and to the County Ground, home of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.[5]
History
editAshley Down was planned to have a stop on the Bristol Supertram, a light rail project which was cancelled in 2004. This was planned to operate as a 30-minute service between Broadmead Shopping Centre and North Bristol, so local residents' hopes and dreams of a returned rail service had to be put on hold. The new GWR station was initially ruled out by Network Rail due to modern regulations regarding the track gradient in stations and because of the high cost of removing an embankment.[6][7] However in January 2018, it was revealed that plans had been revived to reopen the station as part of the reopening of Henbury Spur.[8]
Following the Bristol City Council meeting of 18 June 2019, the former Ashley Hill railway station, which closed in 1964,[9] was cited as a station of main interest in MetroWest, with an opening date expected by 2023.[10] Funding was given in January 2023 for the station,[3] and construction started in March 2023.[11] On 12 September 2024, the Office of Rail and Road authorised services from the station on 28 September.[12] The station was formally opened by Dan Norris, Mayor of the West of England, on 27 September.[13][9]
Services
editThe new station is served by hourly services to Filton Abbey Wood on the way north, and Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill and Bristol Temple Meads on the way south. When the line is fully open, northbound trains will also call at North Filton and Henbury.[14][3]
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filton Abbey Wood | Great Western Railway MetroWest (Bristol) |
Stapleton Road | ||
References
edit- ^ "New Ashley Down railway station construction gets under way". BBC News. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Ashley Down (ASD)". National Rail. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ a b c "Ashley Down station Proposed access designs". travelwest. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ "Study to take place into plans for new station". The Bristol Post. Northcliffe Media. 17 September 2013. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
- ^ Wood, Dave (16 September 2013). "New tracks, new stations will provide opportunities". Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
- ^ "Costs set to signal end of plan to reopen city railway station". Bristol Post. Local World. 6 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ^ Johnston, Howard (27 November – 10 December 2013). "Regional News". RAIL. Vol. 736. Haymarket Publishing. p. 24.
- ^ "North Bristol to get new train station". 29 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Celebration as Bristol's new Ashley Down station gets ready for passengers". Network Rail. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Wilson, Kate (20 June 2019). "Latest on opening of new Bristol train station". BristolLive. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "New Ashley Down railway station construction gets under way". BBC News. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
- ^ "ORR authorises new Bristol Ashley Down station ahead of public opening". Office of Rail and Road. 12 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Ashley Down station is back". West of England Combined Authority. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Latest on opening of new Bristol train station". 20 June 2019.
External links
edit
- Train times and station information for Ashley Down railway station from National Rail