As March heralds spring the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway is springing into action once again as services resume for the 2019 season.

But over the winter shut-down, the railway has been busier than ever, even with no passenger trains running.

Stations have been tidied up, some track has been re-laid, work has been continuing at the multi-award-winning Broadway station and the lineside has been tidied up with fencing and drainage work continuing.

There has also been a hectic schedule of steam and diesel locomotive maintenance as well as progress to add additional carriages to the railway’s immaculate rolling stock fleet.

A new cafe will also be open for business at Broadway station from Saturday 9th March, offering a range of light refreshments. It joins the ‘Flag and Whistle’ restaurant at Toddington station and the ‘Coffee Pot’ cafe at Winchcombe as well as catering on many train services.

Colin Fewell, the GWSR’s commercial director, said: “The railway is looking absolutely spick and span for the start of the season and we are gearing up for another very busy year.

“Our timetable shows that we are operating public services on 186 days this year involving around 1,200 round trips of our 14-mile line. That adds up to some 33,600 miles by historic steam and diesel locomotives and rail-cars. And that excludes specials such as the Cheltenham Festival race trains and fish-and-chip services.

“What’s more our line runs through some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain!”

Over the 2018 season the railway carried a record 144,000 passengers – a 42% increase on the previous year, thanks to the opening of Broadway station which picked up two major accolades at the recent Heritage Railway Association Awards in Birmingham.

“Our railway is almost exclusively run by volunteers, unique for the major heritage railways,” added Colin. “It offers more for visitors to enjoy than ever.

“Will 2019 be another record year? After the excitement of opening Broadway station almost a year ago, some days saw nearly double the number of passengers carried compared with similar days last year.

“We are unlikely to see that again but, on the other hand, news is getting out that the line runs between two of the Cotswolds’ most important centres – Cheltenham and Broadway.

“So who knows – we’re ready for anything and our volunteers are as determined as ever to give our visitors a five-star day out!”

The first train of the season departs the railway’s headquarters at Toddington at 10am on Saturday 9th March bound for Cheltenham and is scheduled to be hauled by the railway’s popular Great Western Railway-designed engine no. 7903 ‘Foremarke Hall’. That’s followed by a 10:15am departure for Broadway with the line’s early 1960s-built diesel railcar service.

The first service from Cheltenham Racecourse departs at 10:55am and the first from Broadway at 10:50am, the two trains passing each other at Winchcombe.