Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway

About the museum

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway runs on part of the former Great Western Railway Honeybourne Line, built in the early 1900s as a fast route between Birmingham and the West Country that avoided the steep Lickey Incline. The line reached Broadway and Toddington in 1904 and was completed in 1906, carrying passengers, racegoers for Cheltenham and heavy military traffic in both world wars.

Local passenger stations including Toddington, Winchcombe and Broadway closed in 1960, and after a freight derailment near Winchcombe in August 1976 British Rail closed the line for good. The rails were lifted from 1979. In 1981 a small group of enthusiasts chose Toddington to restore the line, and the first public steam shuttles ran there in 1984.

Volunteers then extended the line south through Winchcombe and the Greet Tunnel to Cheltenham Race Course, reached in 2003, and north to Broadway, which opened in 2018 with a station rebuilt in authentic Great Western style. Today the railway runs steam and vintage diesel trains on a 14-mile line (a 28-mile round trip). Toddington is the base for the locomotive department and workshops, and the railway shows locomotives, carriages, a model railway coach and a demonstration signal box.

Highlights

• 14-mile steam and diesel line through the Cotswolds from Cheltenham Race Course to Broadway
• Locomotive sheds and yard at Toddington with guided shed tours
• Discovery Coach and Royal Mail Model Railway Coach at Winchcombe
• Broadway station rebuilt by volunteers in Great Western style
• Buffet car in a 1950s-style restaurant coach

Permanent exhibitions

• Locomotives, carriages and heritage displays – Steam and diesel locomotives, vintage coaches and heritage displays along the line, with a locomotive yard viewing area at Toddington.
• Discovery Coach and Royal Mail Model Railway Coach – A coach at Winchcombe on the history of the railway's revival, and a second coach with working model railway layouts built by volunteers.

Operated by

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway Plc

Admission & discounts

The adult price shown (£17) is the cheapest ticket, between Toddington and Broadway; the full-line rover is £28. Prices are standard fares for normal running days and do not apply to special events. Tickets can be bought online or at station booking offices. Shareholders', GWR Trust members' and Heritage Railway Association passes are valid on standard days but not on special events. Annual passes are sold.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Wheelchair access and boarding ramps are provided at the four main stations (Toddington, Winchcombe, Broadway and Cheltenham Race Course); most trains have wheelchair-accessible carriages on a first-come basis, with ramps limited to 300 kg and 79 cm width, so very large mobility scooters may not fit. Stations have footbridges, with level crossings at platform ends for those who cannot use stairs. Heritage carriages have narrow doors and corridors, and the on-board toilets are not wheelchair accessible. Accessible toilets are at the four main stations. Blue Badge parking is at Broadway, Toddington and Winchcombe. Most booking offices have induction loops. Assistance dogs are welcome at no charge.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

Children aged 5 to 15 pay reduced fares and under-5s travel free. There is a playground at Toddington, a narrow gauge railway there, a model railway carriage at Winchcombe and a hands-on demonstration signal box. Family events include playtime sessions, a LEGO weekend, Teddy Bear Specials, Santa trains and Halloween sessions. Baby changing is at the four main stations, high chairs are in the cafés, and pushchairs can be stored in the guard's van.

Getting there & parking

Toddington station is on the B4077; from the M5 use junction 9 (Tewkesbury) or junction 11 (Cheltenham for the Racecourse).

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

Cotswold Halt Café at Toddington, a 1950s-style tea room at Winchcombe, a café at Broadway and a refreshment kiosk at Cheltenham Race Course, plus a buffet car on the trains. Gift shops are at Toddington and Broadway.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit