New station at Ashley Down, Bristol

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

That is indeed shocking! 

[brooklea]

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.

5H63 terminated at Bristol Parkway today, and then ran back to Filton as 2H63, and then continuing on to Temple Meads
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:24369/2024-11-06/detailed
(Apologies for posting a link to a page that’ll expire in a few weeks time).

Partly filling a gap caused by the cancellation of 12:10 Gloucester to Westbury, but at least a sensible use of the resources available.

[johnneyw]

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.

[TonyK]

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.

It's a fair old schlep from Ashley Down to Lincoln. Respect to any Lincoln fans travelling by train, it isn't cheap or easy.

[johnneyw]

There's a local Bristol Beeb news article about an artist being sought to provide a mural at Ashley Down station to make it "more welcoming".  Personally I think that Ashley Down is okay as it is with other stations probably more in need of the four grand that seems to have been made available for the project.

Here's the link to the article in full.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1e6jq9yxp1o.amp

[TonyK]

There's a local Bristol Beeb news article about an artist being sought to provide a mural at Ashley Down station to make it "more welcoming".  Personally I think that Ashley Down is okay as it is with other stations probably more in need of the four grand that seems to have been made available for the project.

Here's the link to the article in full.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1e6jq9yxp1o.amp

A matter of opinion, I suppose, but I rather like the muriel at Stapleton Road (if it's still there). Why not here?

[johnneyw]

There's a local Bristol Beeb news article about an artist being sought to provide a mural at Ashley Down station to make it "more welcoming".  Personally I think that Ashley Down is okay as it is with other stations probably more in need of the four grand that seems to have been made available for the project.

Here's the link to the article in full.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1e6jq9yxp1o.amp

A matter of opinion, I suppose, but I rather like the muriel at Stapleton Road (if it's still there). Why not here?

Yes, a muriel (you've got me at it now!) can be an enhancement but Ashley Down is still relatively new and fresh looking while other local stations appear distinctly more tired and so would benefit more greatly, I would argue, from a spot of refreshment.

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Street artist to transform new railway station

[Image from here is not available to guests]

A street artist says he is "very happy" to have been commissioned to create a mural at a railway station.

Ashley Down station in Bristol, which closed 60 years ago, was re-opened in September 2024 after a £23m revamp.

Local artist Andy Council was chosen after Severnside Community Rail Partnership asked artists to submit applications to transform the station to celebrate its first anniversary. "Gaining local knowledge of an area is key to my work and I'm looking forward to working with community members to make this piece extra special," said Mr Council. "I plan on painting creatures that are made up of local landmarks which will represent the areas people, history, sporting heritage and wildlife," he added.

The artist has spoken to Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, Bristol Rovers FC^▸ (First Class, or Fat Controller, or Football Club, depending on context) and local councillors to get ideas and inspiration for the mural. "I'm very happy to have been chosen to paint this prominent wall which will greet passengers at the new station," he said. "It's exciting to have a station at this location once again which will offer Bristolians more options to get around the city and beyond."

The unveiling in late September will also coincide with the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.

[Image from here is not available to guests]

Helen Godwin, the mayor of the West of England, said there had been a "fantastic response" to the artist call out and the panel struggled to pick just one.  "I can't wait to see the mural that Andy creates," she said. "This artwork will be a celebration of the station itself and the rich heritage of the local area, the city, and our whole region," said Ms Godwin.

Faye Keane, community development officer at Severnside Community Rail Partnership, said she hoped Mr Council would "offer a playful and impressive mural representing the history and community of Ashley Down".

Ashley Down is the newest station to open in the west of England and was the second to open in Bristol in just under a century, following Portway Park & Ride station in 2023.

[WelshBluebird]

So station usage estimates are out (already a thread about it in the other section here). Roughly 50k for Ashley Down based on what is probably around half a year of it being open, so ~100k if you were to assume the same usage patterns over a full year period. Do we know how that compares to the estimates and business case prior to opening?

Initially it sounds a bit low to me (especially when compared to Montpellier a 20 minute walk away at over 300k), but then in that comparison Ashley Down has a much less frequent service, with much later first trains and earlier last trains, a Sunday service may aswell not exist half the time given GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway)'s Sunday issues and of course it is still a new station so people will be finding out about it etc. So maybe its actually doing well considering all that!

[Red Squirrel]

According to this BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) article GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are expecting 3,300 journeys per week, which by my arithmetic could mean just over 170,000 per year.

But there are a couple of factors which make the existing service offer so unattractive that it is surprising the usage figures are as high as they are: Montpelier has an established service with half-hourly direct trains to a variety of local destinations. Ashley Down's trains are hourly, and as long as they terminate at Filton Abbey Wood the offer will be a bit limited. Once trains are extended through to Brabazon and Henbury, and frequency is improved, usage could increase significantly.

There is one other major problem though: fares. An adult single from MTP - BRI^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads station (that is the formal station code - see also BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads station (strictly, it should be BRI) but BTM is a commonly used alternative))), or Bristol Royal Infirmary (hospital), depending on context) is £1.60, whereas ASD - BRI is £3.70. For most people, the No.70 bus will not only be cheaper, but it will often get them there quicker.  This really needs to be sorted!