Picked up some prepaid tickets today from the machine at Ashley Down Station which just happened to be shortly after the Bristol Rovers match finished.  Although I couldn't see how many people had got on to the northbound service which pulled out as I arrived, there was still a steady stream of people arriving for both platforms including the Worcester Foregate service which pulled in two or three minutes behind the one that I just missed.  Looks like a fair few services in each direction were stopping there in the hour after the match and people were catching on to this.
Not sure what the home/away fan ratio was but the numbers seemed encouraging.

Here's an example: 166220
... arrived at Filton Abbey Wood at 12:26 as 2H62
... ran as 5H63 to Bristol Parkway, platform 4
... coninued as 5H63 at 12:48 to Filtom Abbey Wood, arriving 12:52
... formed 2H63, the 12:54 to Bristol Temple Meads

I think I have mis-understood something then.  I believed that the reason the stopper up Filton Bank terminated rather oddly at Abbey Wood, one station before it would provide connections to London, Swansea, Birmingham and beyond was because of capacity issues at Bristol Parkway. And yet here it is buzzing in and out empty from platform 4.

Not sure how many were done to the late running engineering works and how many were actually to do with the long running staff shortage - especially as most of the afternoon Ashley Down services were cancelled too. Looks like just 3 (out of I think 11 timetabled services) called today.

Cancellations to services between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central
Following engineering works not being finished on time at Severn Tunnel Jn the line will be reopened shortly. Disruption is expected until 11:30 03/11.
Train services between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central may be cancelled or delayed.

Customer Advice
We are currently experiencing disruption between Cardiff Central and Bristol Temple Meads due to engineering works not being finished on time, as a result services will be disrupted between Cardiff Central and Bristol Temple Meads.
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Network Rail technicians are on site and estimate the service will be moving again at approximately 11:00.
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We re working with our providers to source Road Transport. Please check back shortly.
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We are sorry for the delay to your journey.

I should imagine Ashley Down is pretty busy today, particularly with Weston-super-Mare fans heading for their FA Cup match against Bristol Rovers. 

The explanation of why this is not regularly done - to allow paths for the super fasts - is now historic. Those trains are not running and I don't think they're expected to.  So that excuse for stopping one station short of the major interchanges no longer holds.

Which brings it back to my suggestion that "we don't want to encourage these customers / this traffic flow by providing services".   It could be because they know they would build up a vibrant set of users without a plan to keep those customers  served if and when Henbury opens.

The empty stock moves at Filton from Platform 4 to 3 run onto the freight line towards Avonmouth, so they don’t block the main lines to or from Wales.

The example noted by grahame runs to Bristol Parkway so as not to be in the way of Westbury to Avonmouth freight train which is due to pass through Filton Abbey Wood at 12:53 1/2, heading onto the line which the shuttle trains generally wait time on. If I remember correctly, the capacity issues were linked with the proposed “Superfast” Bristol to London services which would have run half hourly up and down Filton Bank in order to give Bristol Temple Meads four trains an hour to London Paddington. Obviously they fell by the wayside...

Henbury station will be no more than three miles on from the junction at Filton, so 25 minutes should be ample time for that journey.

It looks like the Filton shuttle has return today.

This is an odd exception - most of these shuttles reverse between the two Relief Line platforms (4 and 3). But the odd thing to note is that they take about 30 minutes to do that, so block one of those lines (to/from Wales) while they do it.

Presumably they don't want this one to do that, and it so happens there's a gap allowing it to use the Main Lines and BPW for this reversal. Note that it can't get to BPW from the Reliefs, and as a general statement it would be more in the way on the Mains than the Reliefs. In fact, today it used P2 both ways, rather than P1 (the Down Main) on its return.

But what dictates this timing? Would it get to Henbury and back in 25 minutes?

Here's an example: 166220
... arrived at Filton Abbey Wood at 12:26 as 2H62
... ran as 5H63 to Bristol Parkway, platform 4
... coninued as 5H63 at 12:48 to Filtom Abbey Wood, arriving 12:52
... formed 2H63, the 12:54 to Bristol Temple Meads

I think I have mis-understood something then.  I believed that the reason the stopper up Filton Bank terminated rather oddly at Abbey Wood, one station before it would provide connections to London, Swansea, Birmingham and beyond was because of capacity issues at Bristol Parkway. And yet here it is buzzing in and out empty from platform 4.

I am scratching my head and wondering "why".  Seated in my armchair on a Friday evening, I have a theory.  My theory is that the powers that be know perfectly well that an hourly connection from Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road and Ashley Down to London, South Wales and the Midlands and north would be very, very popular.  However, in their longer term plan they want that train to carry on to Henbury and if they let it go in passenger service to Bristol Parkway, they're going to build up a thriving customer base they're not planning to serve as well if at all in the future, and they don't want the problem of customers they're not planning to accomodate in the long term.  Please tell me I'm wrong.

It looks like the Filton shuttle has return today.

Unfortunately not.

I'm not sure why but the Filton shuttle hasn't been running this week due to the engineering works at Bath. I'm assuming to release a unit to provide services either side of the line closure.

Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill and obviously Filton have other services but Ashley Down doesn't, so guessing they rolled a dice on what passing service to stop instead.

The problem with Filton Abbey Wood is that it's set back from the main road and not really much use unless you work for the MoD.

A quick additional observation.  My outbound service this morning had come from Cardiff and my even return service went on to Cardiff.  The aforementioned family member also managed to travel direct from Cardiff Central to Ashley Down a day or two ago.  Are GWR cottoning on that stopping their Cardiff service at Ashley Down might free up the units used for the Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood shuttle?

Bit of a cross post hereas I also posted this in one of the ask the manager threads (as this concern was a question I had asked about before the station opened).

Sadly it looks like what I was worrying about in the leadup to the station opening is happening. The reliablility of the Filton shuttle (i.e. the fact it seems to get cancelled all the time) seems to be getting in the way of Ashley Down being a useful station.

Yesterday late afternoon / early evening had a few services cancelled (and whilst they were able to stop a couple of Gloucester stoppers, it doesn't look like anything was added towards Temple Meads) and it looks like the same today.

Sadly if this continues it is going to put people off using the station as they aren't able to rely on it. Certainly for me if it carries on I may just default to getting the numbeer 70 bus to Temple Meads instead. Having the station is great but people need to actually be able to rely on the service too.

The problem with Filton Abbey Wood is that it's set back from the main road and not really much use unless you work for the MoD.

A Lockleaze Station off Constable Rd would be right on the route of the 7x busses which run through Lockleaze/Stoke Park/Cheswick Village to UWE on the eastern side, not to mention all the Filton Ave housing on the west side, and much nicer/safer to walk to than Abbey Wood.

Whilst it would undoubtedly abstract some traffic from the busses, it would likely take a lot of traffic off the Gloucester Road and make the area much more livable.   

Yes, the proposed location for Lockleaze Station is to the south of the old Horfield Station (or was it Horfield Halt?), approximately midway between Ashley Down and Filton Abbey Wood. Lockleaze was just a farm when Horfield Station opened. The area known as Horfield is to the west of Filton Avenue; Horfield Parish Church is some 1300m to the west of the railway. The area around the new station is very much Lockleaze. So it would be confusing to call a new station 'Horfield'.

Bristol Rail Campaign supports the local campaign among Lockleaze residents for a station. Although Ashley Down was put forward ahead of it, a station at Lockleaze has not been ruled out - but like Ashton Gate, Saltford and St Anne's Park it is currently an unfunded aspiration.

My understanding is that the proposed location of any potential Lockleaze station is on Constaple Road rather than on the original site of the old Horfield station, so that probably has something to do with it.

As for why it was dropped - again my understanding is that it was essentially and either / or between Ashley down and Lockleaze / Horfield and Ashley Down won. Probably a bit more complicated than that mind you!

I note in that Bristol Rail Campaign diagram that they've got the former Horfield station down as Lockleaze.  Why not it's original name of Horfield?  Also wasn't Horfield station along with Ashley Down stations originally planned to reopen around 2016 or 2017?  But the rebuilding/reopening of Horfield station was quietly dropped for some reason!   Could do with a rethink on that really!

Ashley Down station reopening the 'first step' in city's railway expansion
The new station forms part of the MetroWest line

The re-opening of the railway station at Ashley Down last week after 60 years is just the beginning of the city's railway expansion, according to a local campaign group. Bristol Rail Campaign (FoSBR) Secretary Mark Maggs, has expressed his support for the new station but says it's simply “the first step” on the MetroWest line.

Revised plans for a new station at Henbury have recently been submitted with a decision to be made on October 9 and although planning approval has already been granted for a brand new North Filton station stop, the original submission needs redesigning which has led to delays.

The railway campaign group would like to see not only more trains but a faster and more frequent service for passengers. The group responded to a consultation put out by transport for Wales in January 2024 which could see two trains per hour stopping at every station between Bristol Temple Meads.

“An advantage to that is that the current service could be speeded up so we get a faster and more frequent service which is what we all want. Although currently the station will be useful for going to Bristol Rovers, the cricket ground and a few local people, it’s the first step on the whole MetroWest line and something’s got to start first,” added Mark.

Bristol Rail Campaign hopes that Transport for Wales goes with the option of putting out two trains an hour between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff, stopping at every station in between.

Hopes for a new Portishead Station remain in limbo after the new Labour government announced a cut to the Restoring Your Railway scheme - which was set to fund the Portishead railway. Chancellor Rachel Reeves told Parliament in August: “If we cannot afford it, we cannot do it.”

Vice Chair of Rail Future for South West England, David Redgewell told Bristol Live that he is confident that all planned stations will be built and should be unaffected by the recent announcement of funding cuts. “It’s all part of a MetroWest network which includes this route and the line to Pill and Portishead, where we are currently waiting for government approval.

“This project has been around for 20 years so it predates any Restoring Your Railways project. I’m very optimistic that we will continue to build MetroWest and reopen the Charfield station (Gloucester line), Henbury, Filton North and Pill and Portishead within the next three or four years.”


Bristol Rail Campaign's vision for MetroWest shows existing stations in white, planned stations in blue and additional stations that could be added to the line in yellow.

Local Labour politicians remain hopeful about the prospect of more new stations but did not make any commitments in their speeches last week. Speaking to a crowd of invited guests at the Ashley Down station opening event last week, Dan Norris said: “We are going to redouble our efforts to make sure we are on track with the other stations in the pipeline. It’s very easy to knock local governments but actually local and regional governments are hugely important and we can see the fruits of all our labours, including our partners and the trade unions who have worked together to make it happen.”

Despite Rachel Reeves' recent announcement of cuts, Bristol North West MP Darren Jones, who holds the position in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet of Chief Secretary to the Treasury, joked about Reeves being jealous of him attending a station opening and said he had spoken to both her and the Prime Minister who believe that rail has an important role to play in “generating growth and unlocking growth across the country.

...continues

Geoff Marshall has done his obligatory 'new station' video.

Spot the minor errors...

The area of Bristol comprises largely nice terraced Town Houses, but built before every family owned a car or two and walking across the hill to the main Gloucester Road, I was struck by the nose to tail cars parked on both sides of the residential streets.

Good luck Chris from Nailsea - plenty above for you to edit!

Good luck Chris from Nailsea - plenty above for you to edit!

BUSY first trains!   Full report to follow.

The people who really matter will be there. In the morning I've no doubt.

Could GWR not have re-jigged things and put on a 3 car Turbo for the inaigural passenger service?

A handful of dignitaries got a 3 car yesterday, today just 2 cars for the great unwashed.

27 September 2024

The first train has called at a station which closed 60 years ago.

Ashley Down station in Bristol has been re-opened as part of the West of England Combined Authority's work to add or re-open stations, external in the area.

It is hoped the station will reduce congestion around the nearby Memorial Stadium and County Cricket Ground on match days.

Tom Pierpoint, GWR Business Development Portfolio Director, said: "There's 13,000 people living within a short walk of this station and it will reconnect Ashley Down and Lockleaze to the rail network."

Today saw the first passenger service to Ashley Down. This was the grand opening in preparation for the commencement of services tomorrow.

To quote Tom Jones, "It's not unusual". Figureheads get the pictures in the Post, not the hordes of planners, plotters, risk assessors, diggers, theodolite holders, equal opportunities officers, rail layers and the like, and they change over the course of any civil engineering project bigger than a new street sign. The plans for Ashley Down station began even before the Mayor for West of England was a thing, IIRC, when the Joint Transport Committee for the West of England LEP held sway over matters related to stations.

Before this Grand Opening we had the Portway Parkway station, promoted first by Cllr Tim Kent, now a footnote in the political history of Bristol, but with credit taken by a jostling cohort of then-current politicians. It follows that credit for the Portishead line will be taken by someone who wasn't even born when work to reopen it first began (and may not have been born yet, heaven forbid). An angel-voiced child at primary school now could become the red-nosed shouty man with a bell and a dressing-up box who announces "Oyez, oyez, we welcome our first train on this day in the reign of our sovereign George the Seventh", as the head of the Green Party Mayoral Collective for Parts of Bristol steps off their bike to cut the vegan tape with non-sharp scissors.

I hope not, but Bristol and its surrounding authorities  don't have a reputation for dealing with anything quickly, unless it has a ticking fuse.

Hmmm, I cannot help but feel that this was a somewhat cynical ploy at hijacking the all the credit where many other individuals and groups did much of the actual campaigning.

Anyone wishing to join our contingent will be most welcome!

The great and the good ! Appear to have opened the Station this morning there was a very brief snippet on ITV West lunchtime news ,more this evening I would venture.

The great and the good ! Appear to have opened the Station this morning there was a very brief snippet on ITV West lunchtime news ,more this evening I would venture.

Bristol Rail Campaign members will be on the first public train from Temple Meads to Ashley Down, leaving Temple Meads at 07.25 [tomorrow] on Saturday 28th Sept. Anyone wishing to join our contingent will be most welcome!

The ORR has approved the station cfor opening on that day. I will post the URL later when I get home

ORR authorises new Bristol Ashley Down station ahead of public opening
12 September 2024
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has authorised the new Ashley Down railway station ahead of its public opening on Saturday 28 September. The new station will facilitate a new hourly service into Bristol Temple Meads.

Ashley Down is part of the MetroWest programme of rail enhancements, which has seen the re-opening of the Henbury Line and new stations at Henbury and North Filton. It is located on the site of the previous Ashley Hill Train station, which closed in 1964.

ORR’s authorisation of the station covers the construction of two new, 126m long platforms, a sheltered footbridge with lifts and stairs connecting both platforms, shelters, signage, and other works including track realignment.

ORR’s authorisation is a key milestone in getting new, upgraded or renewed infrastructure, such as Ashley Down, ready to open. It confirms that standards on areas like health and safety, accessibility, environmental protection, and reliability and availability have been met.

ORR has worked with Network Rail and the West of England Combined Authority from the outset of the project to support them through the authorisation process, ensuring that important checks and surveys are carried out.

Giles Turner, Head of Interoperability and Rail Vehicle Engineering at ORR, said:

This is a significant upgrade for connectivity in and around Bristol and we look forward to seeing the station open for passengers shortly.

We’re pleased to have played our part in getting Ashley Down ready to open. Our team worked closely with both Network Rail and the West of England Combined Authority to support them through the authorisation process, just as we do for new trains and infrastructure across the country.

I hadn't realised it was so close to that ground and also pretty close to the Bristol Rovers ground as well.

From GCCC's visitor information page:

From GCCC's visitor information page:

It would be interesting see how many match attendees choose the rail option to Ashley Down at this early stage.  Are Gloucestershire Cricket Club going to plug the station on their website.... especially their ticket sales pages?

New for 2024! We expect Ashley Down train station to open in late summer 2024. This train station will feature direct services between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway. Further information will be published in due course.

This is excellent news as I will now be able to get to the County Ground Seat Unique Stadium, for the 29th September England v Australia cricket match, mainly by train instead of having to catch a bus from BRI.

Latest news from GWR is that the station will open “by the end of this September.”

I don't know whether this is a pointer. On 14 December, RealTime Trains shows Ashly Down as "Service stop unadvertised", but on Sunday 15 December and thereafter, that qualification is missing.

I think it's looking very unlikely now the station will be open by the end of this month.  If it was going to open by then, surely there would have been an announcement by now.

I think it's looking very unlikely now the station will be open by the end of this month.  If it was going to open by then, surely there would have been an announcement by now.  So probably won't be by the end of this month.  We can hope it will be by the end of October though!

Latest news from GWR is that the station will open “by the end of this September.”

Thank you again, johnneyw, for braving the elements to bring us those latest pictures. 

Note that an opening date of “late August / early September” is now being quoted - which seems commensurate with the progress on the ground visible from passing trains.

the usual 12 month bureaucracy has passed by.