| Ashley Down | |
| Manager: | Great Western Railway |
| Platforms: | 2 |
| Tracks: | 4 |
| Code: | ASD |
| Borough: | Ashley Down, City of Bristol |
| Country: | England |
| Coordinates: | 51.4788°N -2.5767°W |
| Years1: | 1963 |
| Events1: | closed |
| Years2: | 2023 |
| Events2: | Construction started 7 March |
| Years3: | 2024 |
| Events3: | Opened 28 September |
Ashley Down railway station is a railway station in Bristol, serving the Ashley Down area.[1] It opened on 28 September 2024.[2]
The West of England Combined Authority planned to open a new railway station on the site of the disused Ashley Hill railway station which closed in 1964, as part of the MetroWest scheme.[3] The reopening was supported by Bristol City Council, Network Rail, local MPs and local rail groups,[4] and provides rail access to local colleges, the Memorial Stadium, home of Bristol Rovers Football Club, and to the County Ground, home of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.[5]
Ashley Down was planned to have a stop on the Bristol Supertram, a light rail project which was cancelled in 2004. This was planned to operate as a 30-minute service between Broadmead Shopping Centre and North Bristol, so local residents' hopes and dreams of a returned rail service had to be put on hold.The new GWR station was initially ruled out by Network Rail due to modern regulations regarding the track gradient in stations and because of the high cost of removing an embankment.[6] [7] However in January 2018, it was revealed that plans had been revived to reopen the station as part of the reopening of Henbury Spur.[8]
Following the Bristol City Council meeting of 18 June 2019, the former Ashley Hill railway station, which closed in 1964, was cited as a station of main interest in MetroWest, with an opening date expected by 2023.[9] Funding was given in January 2023 for the station, and construction started in March 2023.[10] On 12 September 2024, the Office of Rail and Road authorised services from the station on 28 September.[11] The station was formally opened by Dan Norris, Mayor of the West of England, on 27 September.[12] [13]
The new station is served by hourly services to on the way north, and Stapleton Road, Lawrence Hill and on the way south. When the line is fully open, northbound trains will also call at North Filton and .[14]