Local Community at the Centre of Celebrations Marking Ashley Down’s New Station Opening

After a 60 year hiatus, Ashley Down station has passenger services calling.  The North Bristol community came together to mark the much-anticipated opening of their new station through a unique intergenerational art project titled Progression. Led by local artist Aumairah Hassan, the project was supported by Severnside Community Rail Network and sponsored by the West of England Combined Authority.

Members of Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust art group and 1^st Bristol Muslim Scout Group used stencils, spray paints and paint pens to create artwork themed around ‘Transport through Time’ and the development of travel and connectivity. Aumairah researched local transport history and created wooden stencils depicting everything from hot air balloons to electric scooters, steam trains to horses and of course, Concorde.

Aumairah Hassan leading community art workshops

Progression coincides with the launch of Railway 200, a national celebration to mark the 200th anniversary of the of birth of the modern railway, acknowledging rail’s remarkable past, its role today, and its importance to a sustainable future. View the Progression artwork installation  here Maria Perrett and Melissa Blackburn of Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust at the station opening. Image:SWNS.

Some of the artists attended the official opening of the station on Friday 27^th September, where Progression was unveiled.

The scouts also assisted with the ribbon cutting to ceremony to formally declare the station opening, and were presented with the Platforms for Change badge by Dan Norris MP, Metro Mayor for the West England and Darren Jones MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Scouts were presented with their Platforms for Change badges Image: SWNS.

The partnership between the 1^st Bristol Muslim Scouts and Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust will continue with a day tip on the train together in the near future.

More excited youngsters visited the station the following Monday morning when pupils from Brunel Field Primary School took the first school trip from Ashley Down station.
The class had already received an in-school rail safety workshop from Platform, a team of qualified teachers who provide  sustainable travel focused workshops, curriculum linked resources, and train trips completely free of charge to local schools.  Together, they took the short hop to Bristol Temple Meads station make sketches of local landmarks. View their trip here .