Ashley Hill railway station was a railway station serving the area of Ashley Down in the north of Bristol, England. It was located on what is now known as Filton Bank. It was served by stopping trains to Severn Beach (via Pilning), Avonmouth (via Chittening) and Swindon (via Badminton). The West of England Combined Authority plan to open a new train station, to be called Ashley Down, on the site of Ashley Hill station, in 2023.

Ashley Hill
Site of the station (1992)
General information
Location	Ashley Down, City of Bristol England
Coordinates	51.4783°N 2.5768°W / 51.4783; -2.5768
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Bristol and South Wales Union Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Key dates
13 August 1864	Station opens
23 November 1964	Station closes

v t e Railways in the Bristol area
Legend
Cross Country Route Thornbury branch line Yate South Wales Main Line New Passage Pier Westerleigh Junction New Passage Halt Cross Hands Halt South Wales Main Line Pilning Severn Beach Coalpit Heath Severn View Industrial Park Winterbourne Chittening Industrial Estate Bristol Parkway Patchway Smoke Lane Industrial Estate Ram Hill Colliery Chittening Platform Hallen Halt Avonmouth Docks Henbury St Andrews Road Charlton Halt Avonmouth (BPR&P) North Filton Platform Stoke Gifford depot Avonmouth (Royal Edward) Westerleigh Goods Depot Avonmouth Docks Avonmouth Filton Junction Avonmouth Light Railway Filton Avonmouth Docks Filton Abbey Wood Shirehampton Horfield Sea Mills Ashley Hill Clifton Down Tunnel Mangotsfield (1845–1869) Clifton Down Mangotsfield (1869–1966) Redland Staple Hill Montpelier Fishponds Hotwells Halt Warmley Hotwells Narroways Hill Junction Stapleton Road sidings Grey line represents Stapleton Road boundary of Bristol Oldland Common unitary authority area Avon Valley Railway Lawrence Hill Waste depot Bitton Bristol St Philip's Barton Hill Depot St Mary Redcliffe tunnel Avon Riverside Bristol Temple Meads Bristol Temple Meads Princes' Wharf Kelston Bristol Harbour Railway St Philip's Marsh T&RSMD SS Great Britain East Depot Bristol Docks (North) Bedminster Bristol Docks (South) Parson Street CREATE Centre Mangotsfield branch line South Liberty Lane Depot Ashton Gate St Anne's Park Clifton Bridge Brislington Nightingale Valley Halt Long Ashton Ham Green Halt Bristol–Exeter line Pill Whitchurch Halt Portbury shipyard Keynsham Royal Portbury Dock Bristol & North Somerset Rly Portbury Shipyard Saltford Portbury Great Western Main Line (1954–1964) Portishead Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway (1879–1954) Portishead Portishead Pier

History

The station was opened in 1864 by the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway, which was absorbed by the Great Western Railway in 1868. The station passed to the Western Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948. It was closed by the British Railways Board in 1964.

The site today

Trains running between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway pass the site. Remains of one of the platforms are clearly visible.

In 2001 the station was selected to be reopened as "Ashley Down" and used as a stop for the proposed Bristol Supertram project. This was planned to operate as a 30-minute service between Broadmead Shopping Centre and North Bristol, but the project was cancelled in 2004.

Future

The line through Ashley Hill was to have been electrified in 2017 as part of the Great Western Main Line electrification project, but this work has been postponed indefinitely.[1][2] The route was however restored to four-tracks, which will allow more services between Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads, and separate fast inter-city services from local stopping services.[3][4]

The West of England Combined Authority plan to open a new train station on the site of Ashley Hill station, as part of the MetroWest scheme.[5] The reopening is supported by Bristol City Council, Network Rail, local MPs and local rail groups,[6] and will provide rail access to local colleges and to the County Ground, home of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.[7] The new station was initially ruled out by Network Rail due to modern regulations regarding the track gradient in stations, and also due to the high cost of removing an embankment.[8][9] However in January 2018, it was revealed that plans had been revived to reopen the station as part of the reopening of Henbury Spur.[10]

Following the Bristol City Council meeting of 20 June 2019, Ashley Hill was cited as a station of main interest in MetroWest, with an opening date expected by 2023. The new station, to be called Ashley Down, will be served by hourly services to Henbury calling at Filton Abbey Wood, North Filton and Henbury on the way north, and Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill and Bristol Temple Meads on its way south.[11][5]

References

• Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
• Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.