News / Transport
Dignitaries and a dog descend on new Ashley Down station
Gloucestershire Cricket mascot Alfred the Gorilla joined metro mayor Dan Norris’ dog, Angel the cocker spaniel, at the official opening of Ashley Down railway station.
They were among the dignitaries on board the first train to stop at the station on Friday morning despite the first timetabled service not due into the new station until 7.33am on Saturday, when the section of the Concorde Way next to the station is also due to reopen.
Temple Meads platform one was similar to King’s Cross platform nine and three-quarters as mostly men in suits boarded a train to a destination between Stapleton Road and Filton Abbey Wood not showing up on the departure boards.
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When the train did arrive into Ashley Down, the gorilla, the dog and the human passengers including YouTuber Geoff Marshall stepped onto a new station built close to the site of an old station, Ashley Hill, which closed in 1964.
Alfred the Gorilla was in attendance as the County Ground is a short walk away up Station Road, with Bristol Rovers mascots Captain Gas and Irene part of the welcoming party already at Ashley Down because the Memorial Stadium is also nearby.
Bishopston & Ashley Down councillor Emma Edwards was wearing a train-themed skirt for the occasion and there was a cake in the shape of the station sign – with the addition of the logos of the UK government, WECA, Norris (yes, he has his own logo), Bristol City Council, GWR, Network Rail and Severnside Community Rail Partnership.
A cake to celebrate the opening of the new Ashley Down station – photo: Martin Booth
As well as a slice of cake, invited guests were also given a commemorative touch card celebrating the opening of the station.
One such guest was MP Darren Jones, whose Bristol North West constituency this new station is in; with Bristol’s previous newest station, Portway Park & Ride, also on his patch.
“As a group of Bristol MPs, we’re all enormously supportive of the plans for more rail within the city,” said Jones.
“We’ve got plans for Henbury and for Brabazon-slash-North Filton, depending on what you want to call it, and other parts around Bristol as well.”
Jones, who is also now chief secretary to the treasury, said that he had spoken to “Rachel” – chancellor Rachel Reeves – on Thursday to say that he was going to be helping to open this new station the following day, and she said: “Ooh, lucky you.”
Jones added: “You would have seen our ambition from me, Rachel, the prime minister, our new transport secretary, for the important role that rail and other sustainable transport methods will play in generating growth and unlocking growth across the country.”
Metro mayor Dan Norris (far left) and Bristol North West MP Darren Jones (far right) with members of 1st Bristol Muslim Scout Group – photo: Yoyi Clark
Pupils from Ashley Down Primary School and members of the 1st Bristol Muslim Scout Group just a few hundred yards down Concorde Way helped Norris to cut the ribbon to officially open the station.
Several of the men in suits then took it in turn to make speeches, with one made by GWR’s commercial development director, Tom Pierpoint, from within a GWR-branded gazebo erected especially for the occasion as local residents looked on from behind a fence.
“Today is about celebrating a joint achievement and saying thank you to everyone who played a role in turning this station from an idea to a functioning asset for the local community,” said Pierpoint, before naming all of those whose logos appeared on the cake.
At the end of this historic occasion, Alfred went to the County Ground, Angel to her next official engagement and most of the men in suits headed back to Temple Meads; with ordinary members of the public soon able to use the new station just a few hours after the dignitaries, dog and gorilla had departed.
Ashley Down is built close to the former Ashley Hill station – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
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