In addition, trains run through Ash Vale from Guildford to Ascot via Aldershot. The village owes its development to the Garrison and to the railways; see the description of the often heath soil under the Ash article, explaining how to the south lies a limited area of fertile farming country.
The text describes how Ash Vale's development was influenced by the Garrison and railway lines, which are responsible for connecting Guildford to Ascot.  It also explains that the village's location on a heath soil area limits its agricultural potential but does have some fertile land south of it.