New station at Ashley Down, Bristol

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

Eagle-eyed Carol Durrant of FoSBR^» (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways - site) spotted this in the planning pack:

As a result of the additional trains to service the Proposed Development, the predicted increase in noise is approximately 1 dB during the day and night periods. This increase in sound is predominantly due to the full power operation of the diesel locomotive which forms part of the Class 255 train as it pulls away from the station. This change in level is classified as ‘negligible’ under the criteria used on the most current rail projects in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).

They wouldn't, presumably, be planning to use 'Castles' out to Henbury. Maybe they're thinking of Bristol-Gloucester trains?

[ChrisB]

Class 255 trains

What are these?

[grahame]

Class 255 trains

What are these?

"Castles" to you. 

From Wikipedia

Present
Great Western Railway's short formed HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) sets have been designated the Class 255 Castle classification, though this is not a TOPS^▸ (Total Operations Processing System) classification as they are still InterCity 125 trains

[froome]

I always wondered why Ashley Down was two words but Totterdown only one. But given the acronym that would result if it were called Ashleydown, perhaps it's for the better.

Totter Down would be the better name, especially for anyone trying to walk down any of the roads that descend the ridiculously steep hill between Wells Road and Bath Road.

[johnneyw]

Happened past the site of the future Ashley Down station this afternoon.  It looked as if there has been some vegetation clearance recently as nothing much seems to have grown back so far.  Perhaps more interestingly, there also seem to be a couple of small blue items protruding from the cleared ground set in fairly new looking concrete as in the picture that I took below.
The closer blue object is a tubular shape while the rather more distant one is rectangular.  I've no idea what, if anything, this might have to do with the new station but I thought it might interesting enough to post here.

[broadgage]

Looks to me like an inspection cover that gives access to a small well or borehole. Probably too small to be a useful water source, more likely to be for survey purposes in order that the height of the water table table may be ascertained.

[johnneyw]

Looks to me like an inspection cover that gives access to a small well or borehole. Probably too small to be a useful water source, more likely to be for survey purposes in order that the height of the water table table may be ascertained.

Thanks broadgage, that would make sense.  I recall that less than exhaustive ground water surveys were one of the reasons that Bristol Portway P&R^▸ (Park and Ride) station was (still is) delayed so hopefully there won't be a repeat here.
Perhaps the more distant protrusion has a related function but it does look clearly different close up being rectangular in shape.

[stuving]

Looks to me like an inspection cover that gives access to a small well or borehole. Probably too small to be a useful water source, more likely to be for survey purposes in order that the height of the water table table may be ascertained.

Well spotted - the two shown do look very like this:


These are from a company called MGS, are described as well covers, and come in several sizes from 100 cm up. No doubt there are other makers, though perhaps not using that fetching shade of blue. Groundwater monitoring boreholes would be a typical use. The round ones are steel and the square ones aluminium alloy - why you'd want one of each isn't obvious, though it might be as simple as to identify two different kinds of borehole.

[johnneyw]

Many thanks for that stuving, those illustrations rather confirm it.

[Sulis John]

For several weeks we have been being informed by announcements of engineering work in late February affecting stopping services heading from Temple Meads to Severn Beach and Filton - and being directed "for further details" to gwr.com/bristol. With less than two weeks to go, those "details" are still conspicuous by their absence. By "details" I mean that all important piece of information - a timetable. Journey planners are all very well if you want to plan an individual journey at a particular time, but are nigh on useless if what you need to know is "what does the whole day's / morning's / afternoon's train service look like" because you're trying to work out the economics of season ticket renewal. Am I just looking in the wrong place, or aren't we going to be allowed to know when trains are going to run without looking up each one individually?

[Red Squirrel]

Does this not cover it?

https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/travel-updates/planned-engineering

[Timmer]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) stopped providing revised timetables at times of engineering works years ago. If you want to see what the complete  service pattern looks like Real Time Trains is a good source of timetable information. Detailed search is the best one to use I find.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/

[johnneyw]

Some good news I think.  I've just received the notification below as an email attachment concerning approval for the reopening of Ashley Down Station by Bristol City Council.

Dear Sir/Madam
Notification of Decision
Application No. 21/03523/RA
Site Address: Former Ashley Down Railway Station Station Lane Bristol BS7 9LB
Following your comments about the above application, I can inform you that the proposal
was considered under delegated powers on 7 July 2022, and the decision was as follows:
Prior Approval GIVEN.
A copy of the officer report and the decision notice with any conditions attached, can now be
viewed from our website.
If you require any further information about this application, please contact us.
Yours faithfully
Development Management
Bristol City Council

[TonyK]

Some good news I think.  I've just received the notification below as an email attachment concerning approval for the reopening of Ashley Down Station by Bristol City Council.

Hopefully, this link will take you to the planning application start page:
https://pa.bristol.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=QVERYKDNMMN00

The accompanying documents show that the station will use the western two lines, the slow or relief as you like. The buildings will be of the enhanced bus shelter type. It will give Station Road a station, something which I think will be unique among the Station Roads in the area. There will be a rather imposing footbridge with lifts, something that I would anticipate being the most contentious part of the structure with nearby residents, although parking will also be mentioned. The first works will see the removal of the remaining bits of the former platforms. Station Road will be the access for works vehicles that can't come and go by rail.

The renders show the usual idyllic scenes of empty spaces, trees, occasional bicycle, with happy people looking at phones rather than the sunlit uplands. They are missing the mixed race couples with 2.4 children and representations of various genders beloved by Bristol City Council, but they obviously did the trick. There are no public comments.

[Bmblbzzz]

It will give Station Road a station, something which I think will be unique among the Station Roads in the area.