New Stations for Bristol Commuters

[whole diary]

[martyjon]

Remiss of me to leave out Ashley Down (is that the same as Ashley Hill?) ...

Indeed it is.

The old station was called Ashley Hill, but the 'reopening' proposal refers to it as Ashley Down. It's a better name; the new station is close to the City of Bristol College's extensive Ashley Down campus, but not very close to the road named Ashley Hill.

Quite close to Ashley Down Road too. But if we wanted a nearby road to name the station after, how about Happy Lane?  

Ideal for cricket fans, Gloucestershire County Cricket  Club is within a 8 - 10 minute walk of the location. probably nearer than Montpelier is on foot. I would say a better name for a re-opened station at this location would be Muller Road although Muller Road is rather a long road running from Horfield Common to Eastville Park / Fishponds Road.

[martyjon]

Found the poll on this and added my vote selection but dismayed at the lack of Pilning for re-opening of down platform.

[Dispatch Box]

Found the poll on this and added my vote selection but dismayed at the lack of Pilning for re-opening of down platform.

Talked on the Pilning thread about a complete new station.

Any way, how about reopening the line to Fishponds and Staple hill?.

[grahame]

Found the poll on this and added my vote selection but dismayed at the lack of Pilning for re-opening of down platform.

Talked on the Pilning thread about a complete new station.

Any way, how about reopening the line to Fishponds and Staple hill?.

Found the poll on this and added my vote selection but dismayed at the lack of Pilning for re-opening of down platform.

There is already a station at Pilning; I though whether to add it, but it's not really a re-opening, rather a catching up with updating facilities and perhaps where it's accessed from.   The question is new stations.

[Red Squirrel]

... I would say a better name for a re-opened station at this location would be Muller Road...

As long as they reopen it, they can call it Stationy McStationface for all I care!

[Oberon]

Re-open the line from Bristol up to Mangotsfield. Just imagine how many car journeys this might save.

[Red Squirrel]

Re-open the line from Bristol up to Mangotsfield. Just imagine how many car journeys this might save.

According to the last figures I can find - admittedly 10 years old - the line you refer to (in its current guise as the Bristol-Bath cycle path) carries in excess of 6,500 cyclists and walkers per day. That equates to a lot of car journeys saved; it's probably more people than the Severn Beach line carries. That's not to say that it shouldn't be considered - but the route has already been put to very good use.

[ellendune]

According to the last figures I can find - admittedly 10 years old - the line you refer to (in its current guise as the Bristol-Bath cycle path) carries in excess of 6,500 cyclists and walkers per day. That equates to a lot of car journeys saved; it's probably more people than the Severn Beach line carries. That's not to say that it shouldn't be considered - but the route has already been put to very good use.

It was originally double track I assume. It is never going to be a main line again so could a single track be shared with a cycle route?

Certainly not a short term project, but meanwhile the cycle path protects the route. 

[Oberon]

Of course it could share, as a single track line, with bikes, just as happens around Bitton with the tourist steam line. I'm not sure what percentage of cycles on the route might be considered commuter traffic, and how much classed as leisure. Families out for a bit of exercise, that sort of thing. I doubt if anyone will ever do a survey, so we'll never know

[martyjon]

The Midland line between Bristol and Bath was closed under the Beeching plan. There was consternation that this section was slated for closure along with the rest of the Somerset and Dorset line and a proposal was put forward to reprieve the Bristol - Bath section.

At Newbridge near Bath the two lines were no more than a couple of hundred or so metres apart. Basically the lines were the boundaries on the opposite sides of a farmers field albeit that one of the boundaries was the River Avon. That proposal was to build an embankment from the point where the GW^▸ (Great Western) mainline passed under the A4 at Newbridge to connect with the Midland line as it crossed the River Avon which is currently the terminus of the Avon Valley Railway from Bitton. A double junction at Newbridge would have provided an alternative route between the two cities at times when engineering works closes the GW main line between Newbridge in Bath and North Somerset Junction in Bristol.

This plan fell on deaf ears and over the years houses have been built on parts of the trackbed particularly in the Greenbank / Rose Green areas and then there is the powerful voice of Sustrans, who are I am told, am opposing any extension of the Avon Valley Railway towards Bath and the Newbridge Park and Ride site.

A second line between Bristol and Bath ? Won't happen unless pigs have learnt to fly first.

[ellendune]

A second line between Bristol and Bath ? Won't happen unless pigs have learnt to fly first.

I agree they would look to widen parts of the existing line first - and even that is not likely. 

[froome]

Of course it could share, as a single track line, with bikes, just as happens around Bitton with the tourist steam line. I'm not sure what percentage of cycles on the route might be considered commuter traffic, and how much classed as leisure. Families out for a bit of exercise, that sort of thing. I doubt if anyone will ever do a survey, so we'll never know

Plenty of surveys have been done over the years. It has very high commuter traffic of both pedestrians and cyclists, as can be observed by anyone who goes along there during rush hours.

As well as a transport corridor, it also now functions as open space in any area that has very little, with many informal uses that couldn't happen with dual use with a railway.

[Red Squirrel]

Of course it could share, as a single track line, with bikes, just as happens around Bitton with the tourist steam line.

To confirm froome's point, the section from Staple Hill to central Bristol is very, very busy in the peaks, with frequent conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians. If anything, the path needs to be widened so that  cycle and pedestrian flows can be segregated.

The shared section through Bitton is quite different in character, with more leisure use, but even there the cycle track is in places squeezed to one side and too narrow.

...as can be observed by anyone who goes along there during rush hours.

I have cycled out of Bristol during the morning peak, i.e. against the flow - quite terrifying, I can tell you!

[johnneyw]

So, what did the Joint Spatial Plan say about it?

Apologies for not being able to immediately find the copy of this kindly posted on another thread.

[grahame]

Of course it could share, as a single track line, with bikes, just as happens around Bitton with the tourist steam line.

To confirm froome's point, the section from Staple Hill to central Bristol is very, very busy in the peaks, with frequent conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians. If anything, the path needs to be widened so that  cycle and pedestrian flows can be segregated.

The shared section through Bitton is quite different in character, with more leisure use, but even there the cycle track is in places squeezed to one side and too narrow.

...as can be observed by anyone who goes along there during rush hours.

I have cycled out of Bristol during the morning peak, i.e. against the flow - quite terrifying, I can tell you!

I spent last week communing (on foot) along a section of the Cambridge Guided Busway.  At this time of year, it was "out in the dark, back in the dark" so few pictures.   As per the Bristol comments, terrifying at times to be walking with cycles headed in both directions on the section I was on.  But noting it's wide enough to have public transport (buses) going in both  directions, and a shared abuse cycle and pedestrian track.

Of note ...
* Long gaps between bus services
* When buses come along, they are in groups
* No fencing to keep people off bus lanes - and yet a bus on the guided section cannot swerve to avoid people.

Can't help winding if a three car train with one driver would be more effective than three buses - or perhaps articulated trans / tram trains?   But then would the switch from "bus" to "train" have required fencing because ... well - is the unfenced guided bus safer than the unfenced train, or do we have dual standards in play?