Building the Line

1899

The Great Western Railway obtains an Act of Parliament permitting construction of a double-track railway between Honeybourne and Cheltenham and doubling of the single-track route from Stratford-upon-Avon to Honeybourne, creating a through route from the Midlands to the South West to compete with the Midland route which survives today.

1902

Work began on construction of the Honeybourne-Cheltenham line in November.

1903

During construction of the 15-arch Stanway Viaduct (just north of Toddington Station), three arches collapsed on Friday 13th November, and a fourth the following day. Three workers were killed.

Photo: GWR Collection.

1904

The line opened from Honeybourne to Broadway on 1st August, and to Toddington on 1st December.

1905

Line extended to Winchcombe (1st February) and Bishops Cleeve (1st June). Laverton Halt opened 14th August.

1906

Final section to Cheltenham opened to the connection with the line to the original Cheltenham station (later St. James) at Cheltenham Malvern Road East Junction (1st August). The route continued towards Gloucester on the existing GWR line alongside the Midland main line. At this stage, Prestbury Park racecourse was being laid out and Racecourse station was not opened. Click here to read an interesting extract from a contemporary Great Western Railway Magazine.

From 1906

Line opened with nine or ten stopping passenger services each way between Cheltenham and Honeybourne on weekdays.

1908

Cheltenham Malvern Road station opened and the original Cheltenham station was renamed Cheltenham St. James (30th March). Cheltenham High Street Halt opened 1st October.

From 1908

First through trains introduced between Wolverhampton and the West Country, which became a lasting feature of timetables. Other destinations included Cardiff, Birmingham, various West Country towns and, for a short time, even Norwich.

Picture shows steam rail motor no.40 standing at Toddington station with a Cheltenham to Honeybourne service on 28th July 1910. Photo: GWR Collection.

1912

Cheltenham Race Course station opened, seeing both equine and passenger traffic for the first Cheltenham Gold Cup that year.

1917

Cheltenham High Street and Malvern Road stations closed as a wartime economy measure.  High Street never reopened; Malvern Road was reopened in 1919.

1928

Hayles Abbey Halt (note the spelling of Hayles with a ‘y’) opened on 24th September to coincide with the opening of a new museum at the abbey.

1930’s

Up to 12 summer Saturday expresses used the line in each direction as well as local passenger and freight traffic.

1941

Gotherington closed to goods traffic and reduced to ‘Halt’ status on 1st January.

1948

Great Western Railway was absorbed by British Railways on nationalisation.

1949

Gotherington signal box closed.

1950

Weston-sub-Edge station closed to goods traffic (25th September) and signal box closed (8th October).

1952

The Wolverhampton-Penzance express was named ‘The Cornishman’. The line was heavily used throughout the 1950’s, including much summer holiday traffic to the West Country.

Declining years

1955

Gotherington station closed (13th June).

1960

Local passenger services between Cheltenham and Honeybourne ended on 7th March with closure of intermediate stations north of Cheltenham Racecourse. Broadway signal box closed (10th October).

Picture shows ex GWR 0-4-2T no 1424 approaching Hayles Abbey Halt with the 13:17 Honeybourne to Cheltenham 'rail motor' train on 27 February 1960. Photo: G Daniels - GWR Collection.

1962

Last ‘Cornishman’ express ran over the route on 7th September; this and other express trains were re-routed via the Birmingham - Gloucester line.

1963

Bishops Cleeve closed to goods traffic (1st July). Last steam-hauled race train ran, hauled by ‘Castle’ class locomotive Clun Castle (14th March).

1964

Cheltenham Racecourse signal box closed (9th February). Goods traffic withdrawn from Broadway (1st June) and Winchcombe (2nd November).

1965

Signal boxes closed at Winchcombe (24th February) and Bishops Cleeve (11th July). Most through freight traffic was re-routed from 8th November. Last steam-hauled trains ran over the line.

1966

Cheltenham St James and Malvern Road stations and all remaining stations north of Honeybourne Junction closed (3rd January).

1967

Toddington was the last station yard to remain open for goods traffic (it was important for fruit traffic from the Vale of Evesham), closing on 2nd January.

1968

Last timetable through passenger train, Leamington Spa to Gloucester, ceased from 23rd march. Cheltenham Racecourse station, which had remained open for race trains, was officially closed on 25th March, but was reopened in 1971 for occasional race traffic until 1976.

1969

Through passenger trains ceased using the northern (Stratford - Honeybourne) section with withdrawal of the Stratford - Worcester service on 5th May.

1970’s

Line used only as a diversionary route; much of the infrastructure, including stations, demolished.

1976

Last visit by a race train to Cheltenham Gold Cup , 14th March, hauled by a Brush Type 4 (Class 47) diesel. Freight traffic came to an abrupt end with derailment of a Toton to Severn Tunnel Junction coal train at Winchcombe, close to the B4632 bridge, causing considerable damage to the track. The line never reopened. It was officially closed on 1st November.

Picture shows wagons standing in Winchcombe yard during August 1976 following the derailment which led to closure of the line. Photo: GWR Collection

1979

From July, the track was lifted.

Picture shows the scene at Toddington when contractors acting for British Rail were lifting tracks during December 1979. Photo: Tony Bowles - GWR Collection

Revival

1976

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Society formed at public meeting at Willersey Village Hall on 18th August with aim to persuade BR to retain line.

1977

Society became Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust on 28th October, seeking to preserve the line.

1981

A lease was taken out on part of Toddington yard. On 30th May, the first items of rolling stock arrived for restoration. Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway Plc was formed in August. Track laying began.

1983

The Department of Transport granted a ‘Light Railway Order’ – permitting the Company to relay the line between Broadway and Cheltenham.

1984

Purchase of 15 miles of track bed, associated land and remaining buildings completed on 24th February. Line reopened on 22nd April by Rt. Hon Nicholas Ridley, MP and public services commenced over 700 yards of track.

Restoration of public services

From 1984

Volunteers have, since 1984, steadily restored the line, building signal boxes, station buildings and replacing lost signalling and other infrastructure, working south from Toddington towards Cheltenham Race Course.

1985

2,000 yards of track laid to Didbrook.

1986

Trains run as far as Hayles Abbey, approx 1.5 miles.

1987

Line reaches Winchcombe – first steam train for 28 years arriving on 8th March. Winchcombe station officially opened by John Slatter, Chairman of Winchcombe Council. Re-construction of the former Monmouth Troy station building started at Winchcombe. The former Hall Green, Birmingham, signalbox had been re-built at Wichcombe and became operational (there were no buildings remaining at Winchcombe, except for the Weigh Bridge and the goods shed which is now the base for restoration of carriages and wagons). Track laid through Greet Tunnel (693 yards long).

1990

Line reopened as far as Gretton (4.25 miles from Toddington).

1994

Line reopened as far as Far Stanley (5 miles)

1997

Line reopened as far as Gotherington (6.5 miles).

1998

Track was laid in Cheltenham Racecourse station and a Press Launch inaugurated by Laurence Robertson MP to promote the share issue.

1999

Railtrack express an interest in using the route as a possible diversionary route because of increasing congestion on the former Midland line between Gloucester and Birmingham. Station canopy at Winchcombe completed. Work starts on relaying track on the southern extension.

2000

On 28th December, the track was laid as far as Cheltenham Racecourse, an ‘03’ class diesel shunter pulling the first works train in to the station, 10 miles from Toddington. However, at this stage the line needed to be ballasted and finished and was not operational. The Cheltenham extension incorporates a section of continuously welded rail through Woodmancote, to minimise disturbance for local residents from passing trains.

2001

On 20th February, a press day was held to celebrate completion of the track laying an to promote the effort and funding required to complete work on the reinstated line, before passenger trains can run again. Hunslet 0-6-0ST shunting locomotive ‘King George’ becomes the first steam locomotive to travel to the Racecourse for over 30 years. Good progress made towards completion of the trackwork. Major ballasting exercise carried out during December.

2002

Work started towards building a new platform building at Cheltenham Racecourse. During April/May, Balfour Beatty Rail Plant Limited send a tamping machine to the line as part of a training programme for their technical staff, finishing the Cheltenham extension to the highest possible standards of safety. Final ballasting also completed as part of this programme – in all, some 8,000 tonnes of stone ballast has been used on the three-mile extension. Deal signed with Racing Tours Limited to run special race trains to Cheltenham Racecourse from the Cheltenham Festival in March 2003. On 17th November, first rake of passenger coaches reaches Cheltenham Racecourse station since 1971, launching 2003 race trains. First track laid northwards from Toddington towards Broadway, to a point just short of Stanway viaduct (currently used for stock storage).

2003

Racing Tours Limited, in conjunction with the GWR, run race trains for the 2003 Cheltenham Gold Cup – allowing race goers to once again travel ‘by rail to the races’. HRH The Princess Royal opens Cheltenham Racecourse station on 7th April.  First public trains run on 12th April, using visiting Schools class locomotive Cheltenham. GWR wins Ian Allan Independent Railway of the Year Award, and the Heritage Railway Association’s Annual Award. Believed to be the first time both awards have been won by the same railway for the same year. New website launched: www.gwsr.com.

2004

GWR’s season ends on 1st January having carried nearly 64,000 passengers - a 25% increase on the previous year. During January and February, nearly one mile of track replaced between Toddington and Winchcombe.

2005

Track laying northwards towards Broadway commences, and track is laid across the Stanway Viaduct. In November, an engineering train becomes the first train to cross the viaduct since 1979.

2006

The GWR celebrates the Centenary of opening throughout from Stratford to Cheltenham, in 1906. This year was also the 25th anniversary of the formation of Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway Plc and the effort to restore the line. (see 1906 and 1981 in this chronology).  The first steam locomotive to cross Stanway Viaduct in preservation is 0-4-2T no. 1450 with an autotrailer (a combination known locally as the Coffee Pot), on loan from the Dean Forest Railway for the railway’s highly successful Centenary Festival. The railway ran a special day for people who recalled the ‘Coffee Pot’ service that once ran from Cheltenham to Honeybourne. The Broadway extension reaches Stanton Lane bridge, over a mile north of Toddington.  Exminster signal box acquired for eventual use at Broadway. 67,327 train tickets sold – a record year for the GWR.

1450 and Autotrailer (the ‘Coffee Pot’) cross Stanway viaduct in June – first steam locomotive to do so in preservation. Compare this with the picture in 1903 (photo by Darin Fryat)

2007

£100,000 project starts on major improvement of the locomotive servicing facilities at Toddington.