Work begins on new Ashley Down train station
The work forms part of the wider MetroWest project to greatly expand the region's rail network
Last updated 7th Mar 2023
A ceremony has been held today (March 7) to mark the start of work to reopen an old train station in Bristol.
Ashley Down station (then known as Ashley Hill) closed back in the 1960s as part of the Beeching Cuts that saw thousands of small local train stations mothballed nationwide.
Now though platforms there are set to reopen, as they are in several other areas, as part of the MetroWest project to improve transport links across the West Country.
Speaking to us at the ceremony, West of England metro mayor Dan Norris told us it was a mistake to close the stations in the first place.
“I’m proud of this sizeable investment from my West of England Mayoral Combined Authority as we go full steam ahead with our ‘reverse Beeching’ programme' to give residents the railway stations they've been crying out for, and deserve," he said.
"Spades in the ground is what it is all about. Delivering for local people.
"The last time there was a station here man hadn’t yet stepped on the moon.
"Improving public transport is so important to help people get from A to B in the West of England, and to meet our ambitious net-zero targets locally.”
It is hoped the work to recreate the Ashley Down station will take around a year, meaning it could reopen in 2024.
An exact reopening date has not been announced yet though, with Mr Norris conscious that such projects are often hit with setbacks.
"All across the country trains and railway lines take longer (to build) than people plan, for good reason, particularly supply chains with all the problems and challenges we've got with the economy at the moment, but I'm hoping it will be completed here at Ashley Down by next year."
Once open, the station will be served by an existing Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood hourly service.
This will eventually also stop at new stations in Henbury and North Filton once those are built as part of the same MetroWest project.
The Ashley Down station is being built by Network Rail off Station Road, just south of the Ashley Down allotments and a short walk from Gloucestershire County Cricket Ground (now known as the Seat Unique Stadium).
Also attending the ceremony were Bristol City Councillor Don Alexander as well as Network Rail’s Francis McGarry and Joe Graham from Great Western Railway.
"It's great news for Ashley Down, it's great news for Bristol," Francis said.
"This is the second of six stations we're going to bring online within Bristol over the next 2-3 years...
"It will allow Ashley Down to be reconnected back into the rail network and it will allow people to travel easier and more freely across the great Bristol area."
The West of England Combined Authority (Weca) led by Dan Norris that has provided much of the funding for the work, says the new station and those in Henbury and North Filton, will support the development of more than 8,500 new homes.
Weca also says it will allow for more efficient journeys around the region, saving seven million minutes of travel time a year and by 2030, will have prevented 500 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere through car emissions annually.
"It's 60 years since this station was last working and it's going to provide a new travel option for people of Ashley and Horfield and Lockleaze, it's close to Nevil Road, the cricket ground, so it's going to help with congestion, decarbonisation, reducing pollution, so there's a lot of benefits from this," Don said.
One downside is that because of the Ashley Down work part of the popular cycling and walking route Concorde Way has had to shut, for which Don says he apologises.
"We're obviously sorry about that," he said,
"We do know it's heavily used, we do know a thousand cyclists use it every day, it's a very significant cycle path, but there really isn't any alternative because they (the contractors) are going to have heavy machinery right up to the edge of the path."
If you want to read more about the MetroWest project, you can do so via Weca's website here.
You can also find more related articles by us by clicking on the MetroWest tags below.