13 August 1864 Station opens | 23 November 1964 Station closes | |
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Similar Horfield railway station, St Anne's Park railway st, Long Ashton railway st, Saltford railway station, Ashton Gate railway st | ||
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 the Filton line. It was served by stopping trains to Severn Beach (via Pilning), Avonmouth (via Chittening) and Swindon (via Badminton).
Contents
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 is due to be electrified by 2017 as part of the Great Western Main Line electrification project. The electrification scheme also includes the four-tracking of Filton Bank, which will allow more services between Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads, and separate fast inter-city services from local stopping services.
It was suggested that Ashley Hill station be reopened as part of the Greater Bristol Metro scheme. The reopening was supported by Bristol City Council, Network Rail, local MPs and local rail groups, and would have provided rail access to local colleges and to the County Ground, home of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. However, it was 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.