Construction work has begun on a new Bristol railway station. Funded by the West of England Combined Authority, Ashley Down station will give residents in the north of the city their own station once again after nearly 60 years.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris was track-side to see for himself how the brand-new station is being laid on the site of the previous Ashley Hill Station which closed in 1964. The project hopes to unlock opportunities for both business and pleasure for residents between Ashley Down and Temple Meads, Filton and Henbury.
The station will be served by an existing Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood hourly service. This will be extended to Henbury station (via North Filton station) once these stations have been built and are ready to open.
The station is being built by Network Rail off Station Road, just south of the Ashley Down allotments. Metro Mayor Dan Norris was joined by Bristol City Councillor Don Alexander as well as Network Rail’s Francis McGarry and Joe Graham from Great Western Railway.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “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. 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.”