BROADWAY BOOSTS ‘GLOSWARKS’ PASSENGER FIGURES
Passenger figures on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway have jumped by over half since the line opened its extension to Broadway. Nearly 72,000 people have travelled over the now 15-mile line as of the end of June, compared with 46,500 passengers at the same point last year – an increase of 52% – and, on some days, passenger numbers have been double the equivalent days in 2017. GWSR officials have attributed this boost in numbers to its Broadway extension, which opened to the public on March 30. Volunteer Commercial Director Colin Fewell says: “The popularity of the line since we opened Broadway station is simply astonishing. The ‘Broadway effect’ is eclipsing our past success and records are tumbling one after the other.
“In addition, businesses in Broadway are telling us that they have noticed an increase in the number of visitors to the village since the station reopened, 58 years after it was closed by BR.” To cater for the increased demand, the railway has strengthened its operational rake to eight coaches and is currently pushing the limits of its capacity. Mr Fewell said: “Popular trains are nearly full even on midweek days, especially the first train of the day out of Cheltenham Racecourse.
“We are also in demand for organised coach trips but we’re having to turn some away because we simply can’t accommodate them. Although we would like to run more trains and provide extra capacity, there is a limit to what we can do – but this is the first year of our newlyexpanded railway and we are learning as we go along.”