A Station for Broadway but not Bourton

Regarding ownership of the trackbed from the 1st overbridge north of Broadway (up to that point the trackbed is owned by the GWR) to Honeybourne, my understanding is that the trackbed is owned by the local authority and is protected from encroachment/further development so that it can return to railway use. There was some issue with cycleways/Sustrans but I believe that a situation whereby trains will run from Broadway to Honeybourne is the "preferred" option. In hindsight the GWR should have bought the entire line to Honeybourne but hindsight is wonderful. The current GWR Board will have the actual policy on this and I don't sit on the Board, but I am fairly certain that BillR's post is not representative of the situation now. Anyone from the GWR in an official capacity would hopefully provide the answer.

 

Thats what I thought, that either group Sustrans/gwsr didnt own the trackbed, and remember the council being involved in the talks, sure railtrack was involved as well as they were possibile owners without them realising, but I had heard back then that the councils prefered option was the railway re-instatment.
Lets hope its been sorted in favour of the railway then.

We could do with a official statement from the GWSR on this one. Might email them.

 

If you look at Honeybourne on google earth you can see track still on what was actually a CCE tip that almost reaches the OWW underbridge where the curve would join the main Stratford to Chelternam line.

Will Network Rail install a new bridge over the GWR route as part of the OWW redoubling as it seems to be a single track bridge now?

 

Yes NR will be putting a new double track bridge over the former formation as part of the works and the rebuilt island platform left so that one face can be used by GWR trains in the future. There will also be room for a run round loop with the Long Marston branch running behind this at the back of the station. Any connections to the national network will be from the Long Marston branch.

The GWR did try and buy the trackbed and apply for the Light Railway Order way back in 1994 but it was rejected as being ‘too soon’. The formation itself is still in very good condition though with very few bridges to worry about unlike the present extension to Broadway! Not sure of the latest Sustrans situation though.

Early this year I explored the old trackbed, with a few photos here if anyone is interested.

http://www.gwsr-photos.fpic.co.uk/c1635972.html

 

Andy

Thanks for jogging my memory about the 1994 attempted purchase and LRO. Of course back then we hadn't even reached Gotherington let alone Cheltenham Race Course, so going north to Honeybourne was a real risk. Times are changing.

 

Yes 1994 does seem a long long time ago now doesn't it! Running only to Far Stanley loop and even Cheltenham seemed a distant dream then!

 

That was the year we first went 1994! Autumn Diesel gala! (Warship was there)

Amazes me how much this line has developed, and its future potential!

Always thought Broadway was the key station to get to, as Broadway is a touristy place, also a lot of the cheltenham races people stay there when there on, so again, the line should become that bit busier on race days to connect the two.

Honeybourne will equally be as important as already stated. Will be a good length by then, 20 miles I reckon

 

At one time such a length would have been considered far too long. NYMR to Whitby and perhaps FR + WHR have dispelled that idea. Just how long is too long?

 

The SVR has been 16 mile long as long as I can remember (I'm 28!) WSR is about 20 I think, I would say 20 is around the mark, any longer and its turning into a bit of a trek (at 25mph anyway!)

 

Mileage and time i'd say is relative to whats at the end of the line, basically you can justify a longer run if there's a good reason, Minehead is a good example with a lovely town and seaside resort, Honeybourne while not of the same incentive should still be a justifiable aim, not just for movements on and off the National Network but that would also open up the GWR to those unwilling or unable to use the car, true there's probably a bus or something through Cheltenham but it's not as conveniant as a cross platform change.

 

Nice photo's - bring the area to life having not visited the Honeybourne area.

A link through to Honeybourne would be such a boost - just think of the potential for through services (steam charters mostly) for race days from London & Birmingham. With the NR connection it would be easy for passengers wanting to visit Broadway to catch the train (as Broadway is a great looking place) and be a boost for the NR passenger traffic to Honeybourne.

Incidentally, I wonder if there are any figures for SVR visitors getting there via Rail at Kidiminster instead of driving? Whilst some people have no choice other than public transport, other use it as a convenience. When I visited Peak Rail I travelled most of the Journey by train, even though we had a car, as it was easier to park at a near by station (Duffield) than drive all the way. Similarly, if WSR connected through to Taunton it would be far easier by train (40 mins) than by car (1 hour 30).

 

How many bridges (rail over road) would need surveying / renovating? / rebuilding? between Toddington and Honeybourne? On the OS map it looks like only four. I've rarely seen such a well defined and continuous line of "dismtd rly", with few of those expensive handicaps.

 

I think that is one of the reasons that it is such a good prospect for the longer term

 

The good thing about Broadway is its right close to the town too, unlike the others which are typically a mile or two from there village, though Toddington has a nice little pub on the island going into the station!!!

I think Broadway will be the main tourist station, which is why its important the line gets the station right ie. opting for a bigger facility than Bourton. the other thing I like about Broadway is the prospect of some extra infrastructure, ie the goods yard and sidings the other side of the bridge (I believe the line owns the goods shed, leased to the caravan club) , which is something Cheltenham lacks I think.

 

Broadway station sits next to the Evesham Road which becomes Station Road at that point (originally the A44) and the actual station site is still almost 1 mile distant from Broadway village centre. However, it is nearer to its namesake than Winchcombe Station is to Winchcombe centre and Toddington is confusing as Toddington Station is next to Toddington "New Town" which isn't a town at all, whereas the actual original village of Toddington is over 1 mile away. Broadway Goods shed has been leased for years by Worcs Caravan Club so it's in immaculate condition. What a shame the station buildings did not find a use as well, hence the reason for this thread. The Station Masters House at Broadway is now a guest house and a mighty fine house it is too. Cheltenham Race Course Station had very little infrastructure anyway as it was only used on Race Days, hence no goods shed. The booking office at Cheltenham somehow survived against all the odds (and sods) but the platform building is new, replacing wooden shelters which disappeared years ago in BR days. Cheltenham Race Course Station has a septic tank disposal system as the original station loos were never connected to the sewer. Punters relieving themselves after a good or bad day at the races would use the toilets but everything then flowed through pipes onto the track cess - we aren't allowed to do that now! My parents once lived in a house on Station Road Broadway for a few years and there was a lovely view of the line and the goods shed from the upstairs windows. Sadly they sold up and moved to be near us in 2004. As a very young lad I remember going to Broadway goods yard with a friend and her Dad (now then, I was only about 5 at the time!) to pick up a delivery of day old chicks for their farm. Needless to say I was much more interested in the crates of fluffy yellow cheeping things than the locomotive that brought the consist in! It was black and was a tank loco but that's all I remember. I guess it won't be very long before I see a demo steam freight coming in to Broadway again with box vans. I doubt if we will be allowed to transport livestock now though.

 

It seems closer than that but yes, your probably right! still walking distance though compared to the others! I really like Broadway town, very nice place, good set of whistles and people should be able to hear the railway easy enough and get there attention!

The latest diesel gala, they had drive a diesel for a fiver, which seemed popular, a good thing, because it puts a bit of acitivity at Cheltenham, which is what it needs in my opinion, otherwise the station looks shut when a train isnt there!

I think its a big shame the line does not own Gotherington station, this would make such a model country station, little demonstration goods siding/platform with a possibily a nice big picnic area in the middle of it. I have always wondered if the line has set up a long term saving fund to eventually purchase it if it ever became available (its owned by a GWSR member I believe) Would be a perfect little asset to the railway. I suppose it is in the long long long term plan!..

I find the line so intriguing! thats why I say its my favourite, above even 'fully devolped' lines like SVR, as its great watching a line develop over time, and GWR has so much it can do..... and think its amazing what they have rebuilt already bearing in mind the line was totally stripped of everthing! How lucky they left the viaduct alone!!!!

http://nigel-black.fotopic.net/ - great website updating permanent way activities every weekend, including the extention work.

 

Western48. I echo your sentiments exactly. To me, The Glos Warks Railway is the best heritage railway there is, probably because I have seen it being born, struggle, survive and prosper against some difficult odds; rather like a member of the family. It was a main line so it was never going to have quite the atmosphere of a traditional GWR Branch (although Winchcombe station now does have a real country station charm about it and I'm sure Broadway will too soon), it doesn't (yet) have the double track which makes the GCR so good (as another main line) and it doesn't have the phenomenal heritage pre-BR rolling stock like the SVR for example, neither does it have much in the way of the original structures (again hence the reason for this thread!) but it has tremendous potential even now and I miss living near it terribly. However, I have made erm, certain "arrangements" which hopefully include a stretch of the line, an urn and 2807's firebox. But please not for a while.

 

Is there still a risk though that the whole route will in future be required back to form part of the national network.....new link at the cheltenham end just north of the town perhaps?

Look at a map; look just how busy the NE to SW route is and how busy it might become?

 

Well it was looked into yes, but this would with full co-operation of the GWSR. ie network rail/companies restore connections and relay the line upto right standard, then they get use of the line in the week and the GWSR contuines its normal services at the weekend, I think GWSR would always be the owners within this agreemenet, effectively leasing out the line mid-week.

The problem with this is the stratford end, the link has a busy road running down it?

 

An official statement from the railway -

''The ownership of the line from Springfield lane bridge Broadway to Mickleton road bridge
Honeybourne is now in the hands of Surtrans However with an order to allow a railway to be laid on the trackbed in the future,We are at present putting a works-order together and working with Network Rail at Honeybourne to put in the connection and relay the East loop
towards Broadway,if done now this could save a considerable cost in the future,I trust this will bring you up to date,''

So sustrans do own the trackbed, but with an order to allow the railway to lay the line to connect to honeybourne, well at least thats cleared the issue up, and being as there is no loops/stations to be had on this section it should be straight forward. (maybe a halt at Willersley perhaps, evetually).