Station reopens for first time in 60 years

Ashley Down Station is open to passengers from Saturday

A train station in Bristol has reopened today after being closed for six decades.

The first train departed from Ashley Down Station at 07:33 BST on Saturday, as part of a broader initiative to reconnect the northern part of the city to the rail network.

Funded by the West of England Combined Authority, the project aims to revive the Henbury Loop Line.

The reopening could eventually lead to new stations in Henbury and North Filton.

Ashley Down is the second station to be opened in Bristol recently

Tom Peerpoint, Great Western Railway's business development portfolio director outlined how it would serve the local community.

"We're expecting about 3,300 journeys through the station every week," he said.

"We've got 13,000 people within a short walk of the station and we also have the homes of Gloucestershire County Cricket and Bristol Rovers Football Club nearby."

The new station will be served by an existing hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood.

'Investing in rail'

Ashley Down is the second station to be opened in Bristol recently.

The Portway Park and Ride station, the city's first new rail stop for a century, opened last year.

It was jointly funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA), Great Western Railway and Bristol City Council.

West of England Mayor, Dan Norris, said it showed WECA's commitment to improving sustainable transport.

"It's a strong signal to Bristol and the West of England that we are investing strongly in public transport," he said.

"In this case it's railways of course - and that's a key change because we're investing in railways, we're investing in public transport, rather than closing it all down."