Ashley Down station construction updates

[geoffk]

Patchway, not very far away, has lifts, is a GWR station and I'm fairly sure it's unstaffed.

Is it purely penny pinching the UK doesn't go for more glass lifts, or are there concerns about the machinery being exposed?

Given the proximity of Ashley Down to Bristol Temple Meads, should the lift not be available a passenger could relatively easily be carried on to BTM (or even Stapleton Road) to circulate back to the Up platform or get a taxi. If a lift breaks down unexpectedly there are presumably engineers based in Bristol that can be called out relatively quickly.

I used to go to Patchway a lot as a teenage spotter but haven't been back for years! There must be remote monitoring with a phone inside for use if the lift breaks down - or, in the case of a staffed station, for "after hours" use when station staff have gone off duty. I remember concern being raised when ticket office hours were cut at Halifax and the possibility of the lift being unavailable, as it's an island platform with no other way out.

 

[zwk500]

I used to go to Patchway a lot as a teenage spotter but haven't been back for years! There must be remote monitoring with a phone inside for use if the lift breaks down - or, in the case of a staffed station, for "after hours" use when station staff have gone off duty. I remember concern being raised when ticket office hours were cut at Halifax and the possibility of the lift being unavailable, as it's an island platform with no other way out.

Tbh there's not a lot station staff can do if the lift does break down, as there'll be an alarm call button in the lift itself.

 

[Krokodil]

Tbh there's not a lot station staff can do if the lift does break down, as there'll be an alarm call button in the lift itself.

In the event that the lift is OOU they can assist passengers carry luggage up the stairs, they can supervise the use of a barrow crossing (where provided), they can arrange alternative transport (such as a taxi to a neighbouring station).

 

[zwk500]

In the event that the lift is OOU they can assist passengers carry luggage up the stairs, they can supervise the use of a barrow crossing (where provided), they can arrange alternative transport (such as a taxi to a neighbouring station).

Carrying a suitcase or phoning a taxi certainly comes under 'not a lot' to me. And I was specifically referring to the situation where a lift breaks down with passengers using it (it was responding to the comment about a telephone inside the lift), rather than the situation where the lift has already broken down.
Barrow crossings are by default not provided at new stations, and are being blocked off at existing stations.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Tbh there's not a lot station staff can do if the lift does break down, as there'll be an alarm call button in the lift itself.

If the lift breaks down and you’re in it all you can do is wait for the maintainer to turn up. Staffed or unstaffed!

 

[Snow1964]

Ashley Down (ASD) appears in new timetable (as unadvertised stop), eg 2V69 train from Yeovil to Filton.

As far as I can work down doesn't appear to be any direct southbound workings back to Yeovil

Realtime Trains | 2V69 0618 Yeovil Pen Mill to Filton Abbey Wood | 05/06/2024

Real-time train running information for 2V69 0618 departure from Yeovil Pen Mill to Filton Abbey Wood on 05/06/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[The exile]

Ashley Down (ASD) appears in new timetable (as unadvertised stop), eg 2V69 train from Yeovil to Filton.

As far as I can work down doesn't appear to be any direct southbound workings back to Yeovil

Realtime Trains | 2V69 0618 Yeovil Pen Mill to Filton Abbey Wood | 05/06/2024

Real-time train running information for 2V69 0618 departure from Yeovil Pen Mill to Filton Abbey Wood on 05/06/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

One hopes that once it's open the Temple Meads - Filton (eventually Henbury) shuttle will prove to be a bit more robust in terms of actually running.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Ashley Down has been shown as an unadvertised stop on traincrew diagrams for a while. Drivers have the option to slow down to practice stopping positions without actually stopping.

 

[Snow1964]

“Extensive testing” is currently underway at Ashley Down with Network Rail bosses hoping that the new station will be open by the end of 2024.

Ashley Down station could open before end of 2024

Extensive testing is currently taking place

www.bristol247.com

 

[Ashley Hill]

Another six months seems a long time for a station that’s virtually complete.

 

[The exile]

Another six months seems a long time for a station that’s virtually complete.

But is currently surrounded by what looks like the Somme battlefield - just without the casualties.

 

[zwk500]

Another six months seems a long time for a station that’s virtually complete.

The NR tweet in the article says 'later this year', rather than 'at the end of this year' The stops are already in the schedules so it's possible it may open sooner than six months. Once the ORR give approval the stops can be re-coded very quickly.

 

[Wychwood93]

Ashley Down has been shown as an unadvertised stop on traincrew diagrams for a while. Drivers have the option to slow down to practice stopping positions without actually stopping.

Reading Green Park was shown as an 'unadvertised stop' for some time before actually opening - a certain consistency here. It bodes well!

 

[jazzy]

Update on three new train stations due to open in Bristol

One new railway station is due to open next month

www.bristolpost.co.uk

“Ashley Down station is scheduled to open either at “the end of August or early September”, giving people living in the area a new option to travel by train.”

 

[jazzy]

The station looks ready to use now while the surrounding groundworks quite reasonably lag a little behind. Fingers crossed for an August opening…

 

[zwk500]

The station looks ready to use now while the surrounding groundworks quite reasonably lag a little behind. Fingers crossed for an August opening…

Is it publicly known if the ORR approval/sign-off inspections have started yet? ISTR from other stations recently these can take some time to complete.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The station looks ready to use now while the surrounding groundworks quite reasonably lag a little behind. Fingers crossed for an August opening…

We are already half-way through August, so what is the latest news known about operational services commencing?

 

[jazzy]

We are already half-way through August, so what is the latest news known about operational services commencing?

The article I linked to in https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...nstruction-updates.241979/page-6#post-6864854 seems to represent the best info available and I couldn’t find the minutes from the referenced WECA meeting.

 

[The exile]

We are already half-way through August, so what is the latest news known about operational services commencing?

Somewhere else (FGW Coffee Shop?) has quoted the end of September recently. Progress on the access (certainly what you can see from passing trains) seems somewhat glacial - haven't noticed any change at the top of the steps recently (not to say that there's no progress that can't be seen)

 

[John R]

Passing it at speed this morning there does seem to be quite a lot of work still needed on the access.

 

[jazzy]

A lot of the kerbs and paths are in place now, I think it’s a matter of a small number of weeks worth of work before they’re finished based on their rate of progress thus far.

 

[The exile]

A lot of the kerbs and paths are in place now, I think it’s a matter of a small number of weeks worth of work before they’re finished based on their rate of progress thus far.

Perhaps the bit at the top of the steps is being left till last deliberately to fool those who pass on trains - it’s about the only bit you can see!

 

[jazzy]

Perhaps the bit at the top of the steps is being left till last deliberately to fool those who pass on trains - it’s about the only bit you can see!

Ha, I suspect it’s the more practical matter of working from the station towards the road so their vehicles don’t ruin the earlier work…

My concern is that the station might look ready but has it actually been commissioned and signed off?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

My concern is that the station might look ready but has it actually been commissioned and signed off?

This is not the first time that a question such as this has been asked in recent years concerning other new stations that looked almost ready.

 

[John R]

This is not the first time that a question such as this has been asked in recent years concerning other new stations that looked almost ready.

Probably not surprising though. I'd have thought it's an obvious question whenever a station looks just about ready to open, especially on an internet forum with a close interest in station openings.

 

[The exile]

But presumably such approval includes access so can’t be done until that is complete. IIRC, an issue with the access ramp delayed Portway P&R.

 

[The exile]

Looks as if works have reached the “landscaping” stage - topsoil having been spread by the steps since this morning.

 

[jazzy]

It also looks like the final layer of tarmac has been laid on the paths. Just the friction surfaces and ‘paint’ to be applied now, plus the road will need tarmac to be laid.

 

[Sean Emmett]

I'm now hearing 'mid October' on the local grapevine. More than happy to be corrected.

 

[jazzy]

I'm now hearing 'mid October' on the local grapevine. More than happy to be corrected.

It looks like the ground works will be complete in a day or two. The high friction surfaces on the junctions and railings for the steps are all I can see missing…

That’s not to say the grapevine is wrong though, sadly