Notwithstanding problems with embankment collapses, the railway still has its eyes firmly set on Broadway - just a couple of tantalising miles north of the present railhead at Laverton.

It has been a while since we published a Broadway station update. But there is a thriving band of volunteers working at the site - not just clearance and some fascinating industrial archaeology but slowly re-creating the former Down platform.  At the same time, the group has been talking to the Broadway community - traders and local businesses: building local relationships as well as a new station. 

It's fair to say that the local Broadway community is very keen to see the first train arrive from Cheltenham - not only will it once again provide a rail link to another important Cotswold destination, bringing in visitors, but it could help reduce pressure on precious car parking space!

The Chairman of the Broadway Area Group volunteers is Bill Britton and the following report and the accompanying photographs appear with his help.  Bill also runs the interesting Steaming to Broadway blog.

As far as the overall plan for the layouts and buildings that will come, we'll cover this in detail in a future update as discussion with the local authority are currently being progressed.  However, suffice to say, the aim is to construct a station building that a visitor who has not been there since 1960 would recognise!

The growing band of Broadway Area Group Volunteers has been focussing on building Platform 1 of Station.

Some 220ft of fully platform wall has been completed, adjacent to the planned station building. Some 10,000 bricks have been used, in an authentic English bond.  The bricks have been reclaimed from a variety of sources, notably the Wisley sewage works where over 6000 were recovered virtually single-handedly by volunteer Robin Elliott. Coping slabs stored at Winchcombe yard have been laid to top out the wall.  The infill behind the wall has been started and will be finished shortly.

Work has now started on the building of the southern end of the platform 1, which we are calling 'Platform 1A' just for identification purposes.  New foundations have been laid and it is planned to complete this section by the end of 2011. Much of the materials to used will have been reclaimed from the old Platform 2 (island platform) at  Honeybourne station.  Made redundant by the rebuilding of the platform to accommodate both the new 'up' line and a future Honeybourne Line extension from Broadway as part of the doubling project, it seems most fitting that they have been recycled "further down the line".

In parallel with the platform build a new drainage system has been introduced, which takes surplus water from the station embankment area and channels it into the centre drain on the track bed. The centre drainage system has been cleared throughout and new concrete drainage blocks placed along its length. There has been a concentrated effort on clearing the vegetation along the embankments too: Mother Nature is always trying to defeat us in this endeavour, but again a virtually one man effort by volunteer Andy Protherough is keeping us ahead of the game.

The Broadway Area Group is beginning to collect some heritage trophies from contacts made in pursuit of blue bricks. The latest of these are two genuine former GWR lamp huts* from Ascott-under-Wychwood, passed to us by Network Rail. Work has started on refurbishing them and they will be accommodated somewhere on the Broadway Station scene.

The landslip and other problems that have beset the rest of the railway has required total financial self-sufficiency by the Broadway Area Group. Fund raising on a wide front has generated sufficient funds for consumable materials and equipment hire for the jobs that are impossible to do manually. The Group is extremely grateful for the income from the sales table operated at Toddington by Joyce Penfold and her colleagues. A retired potting shed has been refurbished and located on Station Drive at Broadway, to act as a local information point and sales table.  Marguerite Goodman has picked up the challenge of generating some revenue by running the stall on Saturdays.

Much of the momentum behind the work at Broadway is generated by the enthusiasm of the volunteers which seems unbounded and also by the interest and support show by the local community, local visitors and followers on the Internet.

The Broadway Group ran a 'Sponsor a Slab' project for the platform edging stones, at £25 per time, that now adorn the edge of the thus-far completed platform wall.   This required 60 sponsors and is fully subscribed: however, there is another opportunity! 

Stones are required for the extension, or 'Platform 1A' and these are available for the bargain price of £20 each!  You can click here to download a sponsorship form.  In return you'll get a certificate for your stone and a mention in the 'roll of honour'! 

What are you waiting for?  Meanwhile, the group is looking for willing volunteers and members so why don't you pop in to take a look next time you're passing by Broadway station?  The station is on the right as you drive along the B4632 road out of Broadway town towards Evesham, just before you pass beneath the railway bridge.

* Lamp huts were small huts (usually made of corrugated iron) in which were stored spare lamps, paraffin oil, wicks and other paraphernalia associated with maintaining the oil lamps that illuminated signals and halts during the hours of darkness