Oct 2025
Severnside Community Rail Partnership has delivered another spectacular mural at Ashley Down station. Working in partnership with the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and multiple local community groups, the artwork marks the 12 months anniversary of the opening of the station.
The mural, created by local artists Andy Council, brings a sense of fun and personality to the station entrance. Andy’s creative talent brings a 24 meter wall to life by recreating local landmarks as mini beasts! The artwork is certain to brighten up the day for all who pass by, whether they are walking by on their way to school, cycling back home after a long day or visiting one of the local attractions in Ashley Down.
Artist Andy Council created the new mural.
Since opening last September, more than 100,000 journeys have been taken to/from Ashley Down.
The event also coincides with the national Railway 200 celebrations this weekend, marking the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. On 27 September 1825, the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened with the first steam train journeys on a public railway.
Helen Godwin, the Mayor of the West of England, said:
“Andy has really captured so much of the local area and it’s great that people from the community have helped shape the mural. The artwork looks fabulous and I love seeing local landmarks featured like the Memorial Stadium and the County Ground, with the station so handy for fans on match days.
“Ashley Down has been a real success since opening and just shows, if you build train stations, people will use them. The West’s newest train station will soon be followed by Charfield, North Filton, Henbury, Pill, and Portishead. Investing the record £750 million of transport funding secured from government since May will get our region out of the slow lane, get the West moving, and unlock jobs and growth – including through more trains!”
The colourful mural celebrates the rich railway heritage of Bristol and the West. Andy was picked by a panel of judges after a ‘call out’ to local creatives by Severnside Community Rail Partnership. It was made possible thanks to a £3,000 grant from Great Western Railway (GWR), £1,000 investment from the Mayoral Combined Authority, and permission from Bristol City Council for the mural to go on its wall.
Celebrating a year of Ashley Down railway station with a new mural by artist Andy Council. West of England Mayor officially launches the finished artwork. September 26th 2025.
Faye Keane, Community Development Officer at Severnside Community Rail Partnership, said :
“Community rail is more than just the tracks and the trains, we aim to help communities to get the most from their railways, whether that be engaging schools with rail safety workshops, improving confidence to travel through our Days Out By Train scheme, working with local artists to make the area more eye catching or supporting social enterprises to make use of station buildings. Local Stations have the potential to become a real hub of the community and we are excited to see how this station develops over the coming years.”
“We now have two artworks onsite, Progression, which was a ‘community created’ piece and the new one, which was ‘community influenced”.
Tom Pierpoint, Business Development Portfolio Director at GWR, said:
“GWR’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund is a fantastic opportunity for us to invest in our communities with projects that really make a difference at a local level.
“We’re thrilled to support this stunning new mural to celebrate one year of Ashley Down station, and how it’s brought people closer together, helping them to make more sustainable travel choices.
“As we mark Railway 200, this is a chance to reflect on the lasting impact that the railway has had over two centuries and how, with new stations such as Ashley Down, it will continue to connect people, create jobs, and support the growth and prosperity of the communities we serve.”
Andy Council, the artist, said:
“The artwork I have created for Ashley Down is based on the small creatures that are found in the area and made up of its local landmarks. I’m very happy with the mural – it is colourful, welcoming and friendly.”
Network Rail Head of Strategic Planning Dan Round said:
“Today’s anniversary celebration is a great opportunity to reflect on this success story for the whole industry.
“117,000 hours went into building Ashley Down station. With a spotless safety record, delivering the station on time and on budget – it’s a fantastic demonstration of what can be achieved.”
Andy worked with Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, Bristol Rovers FC, and local councillors to get ideas and inspiration for the mural. The artwork features wildlife found in the local area, Victorian housing, as well as trains – both old and new – bikes and a green WEST bus, on a bright, lilac background.
Ashley Down is the newest station to open in the West of England. On the site of the former Ashley Hill station, which closed in the Beeching Cuts of the 1960s, it was the second new station to open in Bristol in just under a century – one year after Portway Park & Ride station opened in 2023. It forms part of the West’s ambitious wider £400 million rail investment plans for the region which includes building new stations and adding extra services.
Five more new stations are set to be built over the coming years: North Filton, Charfield, Henbury, Pill, and Portishead.
