MetroWest Phase 2 and Ashley Down Rail station news
The MetroWest programme is making some serious moves with phase 2 well underway.
They’re about to construct a brand spankin’ new two-platform station at Ashley Down, which happens to be the second of two new rail stations that will be opening in Bristol after almost a century. Crazy, right?
On June 6th, Councillor Don Alexander and his Cabinet member posse approved a report outlining all the latest developments in phase 2 of MetroWest. Basically, they’re gonna reopen the Henbury line for passenger trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Henbury and add new railway stations at Ashley Down, North Filton, and Henbury. Plus, they’re ramping up the frequency of trains between Bristol and Gloucester from one an hour to half hourly service.
During June’s Cabinet meeting as part of the report, Cabinet heard that this major infrastructure programme will see overall costs rise from £54.1 million to £72.6 million.
This is mainly because of the rise in inflation and the cost of materials. It is also because design changes are needed to all three stations, including widening Ashley Down station’s platforms, redesigning access to Henbury station car park, and redesigning both footbridges at Ashley Down and North Filton stations as part of the planning process. There is also a need for more biodiversity offsetting at Henbury station.
This is where conservation activities give biodiversity benefits to make up for nature losses due to a new development.
These extra costs will be met by the project partners, including Bristol City Council, South Somerset Council, South Gloucestershire Council and North Somerset Council, with funding from the West of England Combined Authority. The amount of money set aside from the Transforming Cities Fund will also go from £11 million to £19.9 million.
Bristol City Council had previously agreed to fund the programme with £7.3 million investment from the Bristol Economic Development Fund, provided by the Combined Authority. However, due to the increase in costs, the council will raise this by almost £1.9 million – investing a total of just over £9.1 million into MetroWest phase 2.
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “It was exciting to visit Ashley Down station today (9 June) and see that work is progressing well. It is of course disappointing that factors beyond our control are forcing up the overall costs of phase 2 of the MetroWest programme.
“It’s important to keep in mind the longer term benefits of boosting the region’s rail infrastructure. The three new stations in the MetroWest phase 2 programme will support planned new housing and is projected to save 7 million minutes of travel each year through more efficient journeys with 1.3 million people expected to travel on the new rail services each year. Importantly, by 2030, we expect to save the equivalent of 500 tons of C0² each year through fewer car journeys.
“Improving public transport is vital for the region’s economic prosperity and has a crucial role to play in efforts to cut carbon emissions from our transport network and encourage more people off the road and onto more sustainable trains, as we continue to build towards the mass transit system Bristolians need and deserve.”
The Cabinet report also set out how Ashley Down station’s platforms need to be widened by around half a metre to make sure they are fully accessible to all. As a result, a roughly 115 metre section of the Concorde Way walking and cycling route, which runs alongside the new station from Station Road towards St Werburghs, will need to be reduced in width by up to 90cm.
A range of measures will help reduce potential conflict along the narrower section of the path, which will be delivered by the council as part of the station access improvements works in 2023 and 2024. Design work is underway, with proposals expected to include high friction surfacing, along with new markings and signage.
With the ambition to improve Concorde Way in the future, the council will work with the West of England Combined Authority on a feasibility study on possible long term improvements to Concorde Way between Muller Road and Mina Road, passing the station and the allotments.
The Ashley Down station project partnership includes the West of England Combined Authority working with Bristol City Council, Network Rail and Great Western Railway. Work is being carried out by accredited contractors on behalf of Network Rail and Bristol City Council.
