THE long-awaited station at Ashley Down is up and running but calls have already begun for more services.
Trains currently run once an hour to Temple Meads in one direction and to Filton Abbey Wood in the other.
The services are operated by Great Western Railway, but funded by the West of England Combined Authority. Calls to increase the frequency of the services at Ashley Down were made during a member forum meeting at Bristol City Council.
Green Councillor Emma Edwards, representing Bishopston and Ashley Down, said: “This is not currently going to serve the cricket ground very well. They need more frequent trains. We also need to be looking at modal shift so that we’re getting people to use the train as a matter of course, and I think for that we need more frequent services.”
Liberal Democrat Cllr Stephen Williams, a former MP for Bristol West, added: “It’s taken an awfully long time to get to this point, from first campaigning for it in 2010, to it finally opening in 2024. But it is disappointing that given all the political capital, with two MPs and numerous ward councillors, there’s only a perfunctory hourly service in between Filton Abbey Wood and Bristol Temple Meads, which is not really using the huge potential of the catchment area.”
He added that more services should stop at Ashley Down, including going to Cardiff, Bristol Parkway and Gloucester. Direct trains run to Filton Abbey Wood as well as Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill and Temple Meads, with connections to link to the wider rail network. It is anticipated that in the future trains to and from Ashley Down will also stop at North Filton and Henbury once these stations have been opened.
Green Cllr Ed Plowden, chair of the transport policy committee, said: “The answer is to keep raising it wherever you can, particularly with the metro mayor, currently Dan Norris, and with the government. We’ve got this new station, and the trains to stop there are actually being funded by the mayoral combined authority. It’s not been taken on as business as usual.
“I hope we could point out to our MPs and the government that as we move to Great British Rail and start taking over progressively more and more of this, stations such as this should be seen as an asset rather than an annoyance to business as usual. Keep petitioning, and I’ll continue to do that as well.”
The discussion followed a celebratory weekend when the station opened. Metro Mayor Mr Norris and his dog Angel were joined by Bristol’s Lord Mayor Councillor Andrew Varney, Bristol North West MP Darren Jones, dignitaries, children from Ashley Down Primary School and the 1st Bristol Muslim Scouts group and members of Lockleaze Community Hub, who provided artwork for the station, led by local artist Aumairah Hussan, for the opening ceremony on the Friday.
The following day, a large number of passengers took part in inaugural journeys from the station. Football fans visiting the Memorial Stadium on the Saturday and cricket fans attending an international at the Gloucestershire ground on the Sunday were also urged to travel by rail to Ashley Down.
Mr Norris said: “Getting more people out of their cars and onto trains is vital to building the better, more sustainable transport system we all want to see.”
The opening of the station, 60 years after Ashley Hill closed, means 15,000 people in Ashley Down, Horfield and Lockleaze now live closer to a station than they did before, Mr Norris said.
Includes content by Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Local resident Barry Cash gives his view on the new station
AT £23 million, is the new Ashley Down Railway station value for money? I went to have a look at it this morning. It’s fantastic! They’ve thought of everything. Braille signs on the handrails, there’s even a safety refuge in case of fire. But no toilet, which at 74 is the “safety refuge” I might need!
The first train left for Abbeywood at 7.29 am. Seven passengers got on and four got off.
The next train was the 7.48 to Temple Meads. Much more popular. 31 people got on and one got off. The 8.25 to Abbeywood delivered 10 passengers and collected 14.
The 8.47 to Temple Meads arrived at 8.53. It brought two people and collected 23 people and a dog.
At 9.03 the excellent electronic display announced the 9.13 to Abbeywood was cancelled. Fortunately there was only one woman waiting and she had brought her bicycle. I walked to my trusty little car and drove home.
I cannot fault the design or workmanship of the new station. But neither can I see us solving our transport problem when it costs £23 m to move 92 people and a dog in the morning rush hour!