The five mile extension of the GWR to Broadway is a major undertaking, which requires a large financial investment to reinstate the old railway infrastructure, to say nothing of many thousand of hours from volunteers, who undertake the lion's share of work required to make it all happen. Nevertheless good progress is being made.

Laverton Halt

It is planned to run operational passenger services to the site of Laverton Halt at some time during 2010. Sterling efforts by the Permanent Way gang mean that three miles of track is virtually there, and a run around loop is to be constructed as the final stage in this phase of the extension.  No platform is envisaged there at present, but the opportunity to take a six-mile round trip from Toddington, twice crossing the superb Stanway Viaduct, is indeed a mouth-watering prospect!  

Continuing beyond this point requires the reconstruction of the Laverton Bridge span (pictured). The "Missing Bridge" has been the subject of a Planning Application with Tewkesbury Borough Council and a new bridge, which is being funded by the National Grid (whose predecessor company removed it in connection with a gas pumping station) could be completed by the end of 2009.

Broadway Station

Work has started at Broadway in earnest. A Broadway Action Group has been set up. A team of fresh volunteers has begun to clear the area, repair broken fences, and install water and electricity supplies for subsequent work.  The work has revealed original foundations and this picture shows three of our volunteers in the Gents!

Plans are being drawn up to rebuild the southbound platform to start with while a station building similar to the original is expected to be built using genuine GWR bricks sourced from a station building elsewhere.  The idea of relocating the Bourton-on-the-Water building has been under consideration for a some time but is not now being pursued on grounds of expense and suitability (see this latest news on Broadway station). The original station building, pictured in Latest News, was identical to those as other stations along the route, including the one at Toddington.  However, the Group would welcome any additional information about Broadway station and the buildings that stood here.