Reopen Ashton Gate
Date: July 2008Unite the City: From the Mouth to the Gate.
Reasons to extend Avonmouth trains to a reopened Ashton Gate.
Build on the increased frequency of services on the Severn Beach line.
Open up the newly reinvigorated following a 3 year investment by BCC Avonmouth/Severn Beach line to the south of the city.
More southbound local trains that continue through Bristol Temple Meads to Ashton Gate will free up capacity in Bristol Temple Meads.
A reopened Ashton Gate will require minimum investment, allow trains to turn back and lay the foundations to reopen the line to Portishead.
Ashton Gate station is near to the a reinvigorated North Street with its Tobacco Factory, busy high street, Ashton Gate football ground and also near to Ashton Gate its self where many events take place.
Through trains from the north and south that pass through Temple Meads will enable better integration of showcase bus routes and with services at to Parkway (Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road, Montpelier and Clifton Down).
Ashton Gate was last used in 1984. Freight Trains run past it today.
The catchment area of through trains running from Ashton Gate to Severn Beach will be huge. Not only will it reunite the city but they will in the longer term connect three counties: South Gloucestershire, Bristol and Somerset.
Improve access to other parts of the city with up and coming areas, Southville, Easton, Clifton, and the Gloucester Rd. Temple Meads.
Work as cycle lift for people in Southville wanting to get to the Downs
Summary,
A great improvement for Bristol Rail Services can be achieved by extending Avonmouth/Severn Beach trains to a reopened Ashton Gate calling at Bedminster and Parson Street. Thus enabling a large part south of the city to easy access the north and BCC invested improved Severn Beach Line Trains.
A reopened Ashton Gate will also improve capacity in Temple Meads by allowing local trains to continue through and turn back at Ashton Gate. Laying the foundations for reopening the Portishead Line to passengers.
Next step: North Filton Halt.
Opening the Gate. Issue 1
Whilst even after the improvements to the Severn Beach Line still leaves it an imperfect service and will continue to need a campaigning effort for some time to come to make it the line it should be. The half hour campaign has proven that results can be achieved (and relatively quickly) if FoSBR selects and focuses its limited energies on one objective at a time as part of its wider strategy to bring a comprehensive and useable local rail network to Bristol and it environs.
This is why I have proposed the reopening of Ashton Gate and extending Severn Beach Line Trains as the next step after the improved service to Bristol’s favourite urban/country line.
Of course FoSBR wants all the all stations closed stations of the wider Bristol area to be reopened, of course a minimum half frequency will transform the alternative transport landscape of the west country’s capital, and of course we want the passenger services to Portishead restored tomorrow, the FoSBR train we never reach its final stop with our passing some stations on the way and Ashton Gate is the next station on the line.
There are two principle reasons why getting this station reopened could be an even greater step improvement then that achieved by the half hour campaign.
- Ashton Gate has the potential to rival Clifton Down and Filton Abby Wood as the most used suburban station even as a spur if it were to be reopened due to being some many facilities, parksa, a university campus and in an up and coming part of Bristol that is poorly served by rail.
- Extending the Severn Beach service from Bristol Temple Meads through to Ashton Gate a real cross city service can be created that can bring the North and South of the city together whilst simultaneously improving the viability of Parson Street and Bedminster Stations.
Since the publicity in the Evening Post I thought it wise that I should actually visit and see the abandoned platforms for myself. I also passed by the station a second time last Sunday coming from the newly restored Ashton Gate Mansion. I am struck at how useful this station is. It would enable car free access to a huge portion of the city to Ashton Court, near Ashton Court there is one of UWOE campuses, Ashton Gate Football stadium its self, Greville Smyth Park, North Street in Southville with the Tobacco Factory and other attractions, as well of being with walking distance to Spike Island and Hotwells.
But don’t take my word for it. I recommend all FoSBR members who can visit the station and see for themselves how it already possesses all the pedestrian access a rail halt could wish for and see by including this one station Bristol would begin to have a truly viable rail service.
EPW 14.07.08