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Gloucestershire Business News

Trains return to Broadway after 58 years

People who have sunk both money and elbow grease into the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway's extension to Broadway saw their efforts rewarded this week.

A series of 'Return to Broadway' special trains ran to the Cotswold village on Wednesday and Thursday.

The new Broadway station opens for public services from Good Friday, March 30.

Nearly 2,000 volunteers and shareholders enjoyed a trip on the newly-laid line to admire the brand new station built by volunteers, and paid for by shareholders.

Richard Johnson, the voluntary chairman of GWSR Plc said: "This was the pinnacle of achievement for everyone who has played a part in making the dream of reaching Broadway again a reality.

"These two days have been a way to enjoy the fruits of all this hard work and being among the first to travel by train to Broadway after a gap of more than 58 years.

"Connecting Broadway with Cheltenham by rail again was the vision of those early pioneers who first took over a derelict Toddington station in 1982.

"That was three years after British Railways had lifted the track and removed the infrastructure of the main line that once ran between Stratford upon Avon and Cheltenham. Broadway station, along with most other stations on the line, had closed way back in March 1960.

"Embankments and bridges have been repaired, drainage fixed, new track laid and a brand new station built on the site of the original - all by volunteers!

"Now we have a railway that is nearly 15 miles long, between Broadway and Cheltenham and it opens to the public on Good Friday."

On Good Friday, Lord Richard Faulkner of Worcester will formally open the station and travel on the footplate of Great Western Railway-designed engine no. 7903 'Foremarke Hall' as it departs at 09.40 with the first public train to Cheltenham for 58 years.

Picture captions: Enjoying the first passenger train at Broadway and, below, Jamie Christie, the first driver. Pictures by Ian Crowder.

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