Railtour’s wander to Honda branch
On October 29, West Coast Railways 37676
Loch Rannoch heads Pathfinder Tours’ 0634 Burton-upon-Trent-Banbury ‘Cotwolds Caper’ at the limit of the former Honda branch at South Marston (Swindon). It is believed to be the first ever passenger service to use the short spur off the Great Western Main Line, which was restricted for freight traffic only before the car factory closed in July 2021, after 34 years. The railhead had been given a new lease of life as recently as 2008, when a new rail terminal was built to export more than 20,000 cars each year to Gent (Belgium).