Ashley Down station construction updates

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Will the graffiti on the walls in those pictures be removed prior to the station opening?

 

[Snow1964]

Will the graffiti on the walls in those pictures be removed prior to the station opening?

If they don't, then good chance it will be extended to new bits of station

 

[zwk500]

Will the graffiti on the walls in those pictures be removed prior to the station opening?

Probably not, as it'll be back with a vengeance very shortly.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Probably not, as it'll be back with a vengeance very shortly.

If the powers-that-be are aware of the matter, that question should have been addressed early in the planning stages and removed far earlier.

 

[jazzy]

A reliable local source suggests Monday 30th September is the opening date for Ashley Down. We'll see...

 

[WelshBluebird]

NRE is now saying September 28th

Ashley Down Station | National Rail

Discover Ashley Down railway station. Getting to & from, buying & collecting train tickets, staffing, facilities, accessibility, & mobility access.

www.nationalrail.co.uk

 

[Sean Emmett]

England v Australia cricket ODI nearby on Sun 29 Sep!

 

[WelshBluebird]

England v Australia cricket ODI nearby on Sun 29 Sep!

Indeed and the local talk (it may have even been mentioned here on a previous page) was that they were trying to get it open for that game.

Has been interesting seeing how much interest there is in my local street WhatsApp group - much more interest than what you may think.

I do wonder if that interest remains once the hourly timetable and late first trains (07.29 to Filton and 07.48 to Temple Meads) and early last trains (20.13 to Filton and 20.55 to Temple Meads) are more widely known about though (despite the initial talk being of half hourly services in the peak and other local stations nearby getting much earlier first trains and much later last trains).

 

[Sly Old Fox]

Will the graffiti on the walls in those pictures be removed prior to the station opening?

In Bristol? You’re joking right?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If the normally followed procedure that precedes the official opening of a new railway station and the commencement of operational services, should a sporting event have any influence on the procedure?

 

[contrex]

I heard that the services will increase if/when Henbury and North Filton are opened.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In Bristol? You’re joking right?

From what you feel to be the case, it would have been better to build a Young Offenders Institution in that location rather than a new railway station...

 

[The exile]

If the normally followed procedure that precedes the official opening of a new railway station and the commencement of operational services, should a sporting event have any influence on the procedure?

Well, given the fact that the necessary ticking of boxes and signing off of paperwork is unlikely to happen over a weekend, getting the opening done on the Saturday immediately before an event rather than on the Monday immediately after will probably have no influence on the “process” at all. If it’s not ready to open on the Saturday, it’s unlikely to be ready on the Monday morning.

 

[WelshBluebird]

If the normally followed procedure that precedes the official opening of a new railway station and the commencement of operational services, should a sporting event have any influence on the procedure?

I don't believe at all the procedure has been influenced by the cricket, but I wouldn't be surprised if the general timing of the works was done to allow the possibility of opening in time for it if all the boxes are able to be ticked. It's worth saying the station itself has looked essentially complete for a while now, it's just been the access works the council have been in charge of that have needed to be finished up.

I heard that the services will increase if/when Henbury and North Filton are opened.

Is there no hope of stopping one of the many other services that pass through the area? E.g. on a Sunday it looks like they'll be stopping to CDF to Taunton / Penzance services to make up for the fact the shuttle doesn't have a Sunday service yet. And whilst timing may be an issue, that same service usually has lots of slack in its timetable and ends up waiting at temple meads for significant periods of time in the week.

From what you feel to be the case, it would have been better to build a Young Offenders Institution in that location rather than a new railway station...

I take it you've never actually been to Bristol? Street art and graffiti in general are very much part of the local culture, and whilst the tagging is less appreciated you isn't really get one without the other. The area the station is in is otherwise a pretty nice part of town, certainly not Clifton but otherwise one of the "good to raise a family" parts of town with good schools and generally safe streets.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I take it you've never actually been to Bristol? Street art and graffiti in general are very much part of the local culture, and whilst the tagging is less appreciated you isn't really get one without the other. The area the station is in is otherwise a pretty nice part of town, certainly not Clifton but otherwise one of the "good to raise a family" parts of town with good schools and generally safe streets.

It must be nearly fifty years since I visited the Bristol area. I have had sight of the local authority information on the new station, which is built on the site of the former Ashley Hill railway station which I believe was a station on the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway.

The information material freely admits that graffiti tagging is a significant problem in Bristol. It goes on to state" there will be lots of available flat surfaces-ideal for tagging". They state that they "will look into the use of anti-graffiti tagging coating on certain surfaces".

 

[contrex]

I take it you've never actually been to Bristol? Street art and graffiti in general are very much part of the local culture, and whilst the tagging is less appreciated you isn't really get one without the other.

Yes! I live in St Werburghs about half a mile from the new station, and the topic over the last couple of days in my street's WhatsApp group has been how disappointed people are that the end of terrace house is not getting a street-art mural, due to the house owner having to let the scaffolding go before it could be arranged. Here is a picture of the art on the house opposite



This is a house in my street and I'm thinking of asking for the artist's contact details and if his quote is only a grand or two I might commission something, as I need to refresh the rendering anyway.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Yes! I live in St Werburghs about half a mile from the new station, and the topic over the last couple of days in my street's WhatsApp group has been how disappointed people are that the end of terrace house is not getting a street-art mural, due to the house owner having to let the scaffolding go before it could be arranged. Here is a picture of the art on the house opposite

View attachment 165357

Street art is something that can certainly enhance an area. On the local evening TV local news this evening, there were three end of terrace properties that had been painted with large floral images. Banky's works are always to a good standard. Mindless tagging on the other hand seems to be a method of expression by (a) the type of young adult whose used the TOX tag all over the country and was caught and imprisoned and (b) immature and insecure people who see using their tags as a way of gaining needed acknowledgement of their existence in their local areas. I am sure there are medically qualified people on this website who can give a far deeper explanation than I can on the second type described.

 

[John R]

I particularly like this rural scene near Bedminster station.

 

[Sean Emmett]

If Banksy or someone else, wants to create something amusing or uplifting on my end wall, I'd be delighted. But no boring tags please!

Back to the station, I see there are a number of early/late trains to/from Cardiff and Gloucester that call at Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road - and therefore run past the platforms at Ashley Down.

Surely, with some minor tweaking, they could call at Ashley Down too, to vastly improve the service offer at minimal cost.

As it is, an hourly service with late start and early finish is underwhelming, to be polite.

 

[WelshBluebird]

If Banksy or someone else, wants to create something amusing or uplifting on my end wall, I'd be delighted. But no boring tags please!

Back to the station, I see there are a number of early/late trains to/from Cardiff and Gloucester that call at Lawrence Hill and Stapleton Road - and therefore run past the platforms at Ashley Down.

Surely, with some minor tweaking, they could call at Ashley Down too, to vastly improve the service offer at minimal cost.

As it is, an hourly service with late start and early finish is underwhelming, to be polite.

Yeah my comments about the late first trains and early last trains was made with those trains in mind. I fully expected say the 23.30 Cardiff to Bristol which stops all stations including Patchway, Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill to stop at Ashley Down too. Surely pathing down filton bank can't be a problem at that time?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Yeah my comments about the late first trains and early last trains was made with those trains in mind. I fully expected say the 23.30 Cardiff to Bristol which stops all stations including Patchway, Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill to stop at Ashley Down too. Surely pathing down filton bank can't be a problem at that time?

What is the average pax number expected on such a 23.30 service?

 

[The exile]

What is the average pax number expected on such a 23.30 service?

Presumably not many - but as with all trains at either end of the day, almost every person would be on them if they ran (or stopped in this case) would also be on another one in the other direction.

 

[WelshBluebird]

What is the average pax number expected on such a 23.30 service?

We need to see service levels as an overall story regarding how well the station is served and what message that sends to the potential passengers, rather than looking at each individual service in isolation.

That 23.30 service is already running. It is an existing train that already serves all other stations between Cardiff Central and Bristol Temple Meads (apart from Pilning, but that is a different story). Because it serves Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill it already uses the slow lines down Filton Bank which are the lines Ashley Down has platforms on. A stop at Ashley Down will take what, 30 seconds - 1 minute and will be near enough right at the end of the existing journey. So why not stop it at Ashley Down to increase service provision and to make the station more attractive to passengers? The local reaction has already had some negativity for what should be a positive story because of decisions like this exact one.

Also - from personal experience, the last trains from Cardiff Central to Bristol (23.30 on most days, 22.45 ish on a Saturday and 23.15 ish on a Sunday) can indeed be pretty busy, especially over the Friday and Saturday services, or when there are certain events on in Cardiff (not just at the millenium stadium, also thinking about when Cardiff CIty play home in the evening too). How many of those will alight at Ashley Down instead? Probably not many - but that then goes back to my first point about looking at the whole rather than just individual services.

 

[The exile]

Now showing on the BBC website as confirmed for 28/09.

 

[D6975]

What is the average pax number expected on such a 23.30 service?

If there's been a gig at Cardiff Arena, it will be loaded.

 

[JKF]

Think I might do the 8:31 from Pilning and change at Filton to get to Ashley Down, might be a unique ticket for the first opening day. (Unless anyone here copies the idea!)

 

[YorkRailFan]

The ORR has authorised Ashley Down ahead of its opening:

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.

ORR authorises new Bristol Ashley Down station ahead of public opening | Office of Rail and Road

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.

www.orr.gov.uk

Good news, the last tick in the box.

 

[lachlan]

I heard that the services will increase if/when Henbury and North Filton are opened.

I believe the plan is to extend the Filton service to Henbury when the loop opens, providing an hourly service.

Which begs the question, is there any provision being made for increasing the Henbury line service frequency?

Another option for adding services to Ashley Down could be a Bristol TM to Bristol Parkway service which would open up new journey opportunities.

 

[The exile]

Another option for adding services to Ashley Down could be a Bristol TM to Bristol Parkway service which would open up new journey opportunities.

Indeed, I am aware of several people who would travel by train from the intermediates to Parkway if the opportunity existed.

 

[cce]

Wasn't there an all shacks parkway to Weston at one point? That feels like a very useful service for a lot of people.