The route
The railway invites you to “travel 14 miles through some of Gloucestershire’s most beautiful countryside” (GWSR), from Broadway through Toddington, Hayles Abbey Halt, Winchcombe and Gotherington to Cheltenham Race Course. On the way it passes through the 693-yard Greet Tunnel (history of the GWSR).
Built 1906, lifted 1979
The original line was completed when “the final connection was forged on 1st August 1906 at Cheltenham Malvern Road East Junction” (history). After a freight derailment in August 1976 British Rail closed it, and “in 1979 demolition crews arrived to lift the rails for scrap” (same page).
Rebuilt from Toddington
“In 1981, a small band of enthusiasts chose this very site”, the Toddington page says, and the trains followed: the line reached Cheltenham Race Course in 2003 and Broadway in 2018 (Toddington page and history). Toddington is home to the sheds and workshops, and the separate Toddington Narrow Gauge Railway runs there too. Winchcombe is where vintage coaches are lovingly restored, and its station building came from Monmouth Troy (Winchcombe page). Film crews use the line; the operator mentions filming for the BBC’s Father Brown (filming page).
Engines and sheds
The railway’s locomotives include No. 2807, a tender engine of 1905, No. 3850 of 1942, and the diesel-electric D6948 of 1964 (our locomotives). At Toddington there are guided tours of the locomotive sheds on Tuesdays and Sundays (Toddington page). Wheelchair access is available at the four main stations only (accessibility page), and Gotherington has no parking (getting here).
The Honeybourne Line, rebuilt by hand
This was a Great Western main line, Birmingham to Cheltenham by way of Stratford-upon-Avon, known as the Honeybourne Line. When steam came back to Toddington in 1984 there were just 700 yards of relaid track. By 1987 trains reached Winchcombe, where the station building is itself a rescue, moved from Monmouth Troy over the Welsh border.
Princess Anne reopened the line to Cheltenham Race Course in 2003, and the Broadway extension took £1.38 million of fundraising before it opened in March 2018. Race trains still run for the Cheltenham meetings. The long-term aim is another 6 miles from Broadway to Honeybourne, where it would meet the national network again (Wikipedia).
Planning the day
Trains run from spring to late autumn, mostly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, weekends and bank holidays (GWSR). A Day Rover was listed at £28 for an adult, and well-behaved dogs are welcome aboard for £5 per journey (tickets and fares). Cheltenham Spa is the nearest main-line station, and Toddington has the largest free car park (getting here).
Photographing the line
The railway’s byelaws are simple: don’t go anywhere a notice says no access, and there’s a fine if you do. Its 2026 Cotswold Diesel Gala, from 24 to 26 July, was pitched at enthusiasts and photographers alike, so galas are the best day to visit with a camera.
Sources: GWSR byelaws; Cotswold Diesel Gala 2026 (checked 21 October 2026).
Took some pictures on the day? Choose the best one and print it just as it is.
