Share Appeal - “Broadway here we come”

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway PLC is in the process of rebuilding and restoring a former Great Western mainline as a heritage railway. The empty trackbed from Broadway to Cheltenham was purchased in 1981 and reconstruction commenced. Since then, 10 miles of track, three stations and associated facilities have been lovingly recreated for public enjoyment.

Major Achievements:

• Creating Toddington as the prime visitor gateway for the railway.
• Operating regular time-tabled public passenger trains.
• Establishing Toddington as the motive power centre, complete with new locomotive shed.
• Establishing Winchcombe at the permanent way and the carriage and wagon centre of the railway.
• Operating race day trains to the refurbished Cheltenham Race Course station.
• Creating a visitor attraction with both nostalgic and educational content.
• Encouraging a friendly attitude in our staff when dealing with other volunteers as well as the public.
• Fostering a “small country station” environment at Winchcombe.
• Building ten miles of first class track capable of carrying the heaviest engines at 25 mph.
• Signalling our station layouts using semaphore signals.

In addition to that list of large achievements there are countless smaller items such as:

• Moving a complete station building from Monmouth to Winchcombe
• Rebuilding Gotherington Halt
• Creating picnic areas at Winchcombe and Cheltenham

Milestones for the future:

• Extension northwards by 5 miles to Broadway.
• Recreating Broadway station.
• Building a carriage shed at Winchcombe to protect our restored coaches.
• Signalling the Broadway extension.
• Upgrade of loco facilities and staff amenities

How is all this achieved?

All this work has been completed by a staff of unpaid volunteers working to professional standards, using revenue generated from our operations and shareholder capital. We need more volunteers and capital to enhance and extend the railway.

Ownership of the Railway

The railway is owned by its shareholders, many of whom are also members of our supporting body (the GWRL). The benefits of being a shareholder include:

• Having your say in the way the railway develops.
• Attending the Annual General Meeting, to hear first hand the current progress of the line.
• Half-yearly progress reports.
• Travel benefits which increase with increasing numbers of shares purchased.
• Invitations to special events.

How do I apply?

Either use the form below, or write to us for more information, to:

The Chairman, GWSR plc, The Railway Station, Toddington, Gloucestershire, GL54 5DT