Ashley Hill railway station

Ashley Hill railway station was a railway station serving the area of Ashley Down in the north of Bristol, England. It was located on what is now known as Filton Bank. It was served by stopping trains to Severn Beach (via Pilning), Avonmouth (via Chittening) and Swindon (via Badminton).

Ashley Hill
Site of the station (1992)
LocationAshley Down, City of Bristol
England
Coordinates51.4783°N 2.5768°W / 51.4783; -2.5768
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyBristol and South Wales Union Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
13 August 1864Station opens
23 November 1964Station closes

History

The station was opened in 1864 by the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway, which was absorbed by the Great Western Railway in 1868. The station passed to the Western Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948. It was closed by the British Railways Board in 1964.

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Stapleton Road
Line and station open		   Great Western Railway
Bristol and South Wales Union Railway		   Horfield
Line open, station closed

The site today

Trains running between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway pass the site. Remains of one of the platforms are clearly visible.

In 2001 the station was selected to be reopened as "Ashley Down" and used as a stop for the proposed Bristol Supertram project. This was planned to operate as a 30-minute service between Broadmead Shopping Centre and North Bristol, but the project was cancelled in 2004.

Future

The line through Ashley Hill was to have been electrified in 2017 as part of the Great Western Main Line electrification project, but this work has been postponed indefinitely.[1][2] The route was however restored to four-tracks, which will allow more services between Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads, and separate fast inter-city services from local stopping services.[3][4]

It was suggested that Ashley Hill station be reopened as part of the MetroWest scheme.[5][6] The reopening was supported by Bristol City Council, Network Rail, local MPs and local rail groups,[7] and would have provided rail access to local colleges and to the County Ground, home of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.[8] However, it was ruled out by Network Rail due to modern regulations regarding the track gradient in stations, and also due to the high cost of removing an embankment.[9][10] However in January 2018, it was revealed that there was plans for reopening the station (although referred to as Ashley Down) as part of the reopening of Henbury Spur.[11]

Following the Bristol City Council meeting of 20 June 2019, Ashley Hill was cited as a station of main interest in MetroWest, with an opening date expected by 2021. It will be on the Henbury Line, with services being once hourly, calling at Filton Abbey Wood, North Filton and Henbury on the way north, and Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill and Bristol Temple Meads on its way south.[12]

References
  1. "Modernising the Great Western" (PDF). Network Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  2. "Bristol to London line to be electrified". This Is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. 23 July 2009. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  3. "Green light for long-awaited rail improvements". The Post, Bristol. Northcliffe Media. 17 July 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  4. Broadbent, Steve (16–29 May 2012). "Ship-shape and Bristol fashion". RAIL. No. 696. pp. 46–53.
  5. White, James (13 March 2009). "Item 04: Greater Bristol Metro" (PDF). West of England Partnership. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  6. "Campaign for trains from Bristol Temple Meads every half hour". This is Bristol. Northcliffe Media. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  7. "Study to take place into plans for new station". The Bristol Post. Northcliffe Media. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  8. Wood, Dave (16 September 2013). "New tracks, new stations will provide opportunities". Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  9. "Costs set to signal end of plan to reopen city railway station". Bristol Post. Local World. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  10. Johnston, Howard (27 November – 10 December 2013). "Regional News". RAIL. Vol. 736. Haymarket Publishing. p. 24.
  • Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
  • Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.
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