Work starts but still a funding shortfall
Updated 6th February 2012
Why an Appeal?
In the space of a year the GWR has experienced two disastrous
embankment collapses - at Gotherington in April 2010 and again at
Chicken Curve just north of Winchcombe Station in January
2011. Both severed the track leading to a restricted service
and inevitable income reduction.
The Railway, currently in its 30th year, is entirely
dependent on ticket sales, donations and share sales for both its
continued operation and the planned extension to beautiful Broadway
in Worcestershire. It has no reserves and was badly hit last
winter by service cancellations because of the prolonged snow.
Our President, pop music producer Pete Waterman, has launched a
£1million Emergency Appeal to meet the costs of repairing the two
collapses and preventative works elsewhere.
The Gotherington collapse has been repaired from the Appeal Fund
which has now raised £800,000 but we desperately need to meet our
£1 million target to repair Chicken Curve. Ironically after the
Gotherington collapse our insurers declined to cover such risks in
the future so we must raise the full cost of the Chicken Curve
works.
Throughout 2011 we've operated two railways - steam from
Cheltenham Race Course to Winchcombe and a diesel car service
running north from Toddington, the station after the collapse.
Whilst we've met our costs this year, income is nearly 40% down and
if we are to survive and thrive we desperately need your
support.
Find up to date news by clicking "Latest News" on the web home
page.
So What does it all Mean?
We are a living heritage museum staffed mainly by volunteers.
Whilst everyone loves a steam loco, it's a real world and there are
many competing attractions now added to by the financial situation.
The future of the railway is significantly at risk just on a
continuation basis let alone expansion.
This is our gravest challenge. We must repair Chicken Curve
soon. That will ease financial pressure and we can get back to
providing our full service. We desperately need your help!
The Railway's Origins
The line was constructed by the Great Western Railway to provide
a quicker route from Birmingham to Bristol via Stratford upon Avon.
It opened in 1906. It was closed by British Railways in 1976 and
the track had been lifted/most infra structure demolished by
1979.
GWSR Plc (which trades as GWR) was formed in 1981 and purchased
the vacant 15 miles of trackbed between Cheltenham Race Course
Station (CRC) to Broadway Station.
The Plc's objective is to operate a heritage steam railway and
to relay track to Broadway.
Position Statement
Using shares sales, donations and operating surpluses 12.25
miles of track has been relaid from CRC to Laverton. This is some
2.25 miles north of Toddington (the railway head quarters) and
several miles from Broadway where station re building has already
started.
In its last normal year (2009) the railway carried 75,000
passengers with a turnover of just over £1 million. By contrast in
2011 we expect passenger numbers of the order of 45,000.
The Chicken Curve Challenge
Early in January 2011 concern grew at movement in the embankment
just north of Winchcombe Station. That concern turned to alarm as a
similar failure to that at Gotherington developed with a long
section of the embankment collapsing such that the area became
impassable.
Experience following the Gotherington collapse has given the
railway's consulting engineers enough understanding of what is
happening within the embankment to realise that it will need
rebuilding and extensive renewal of drainage including to stabilise
less effected sections on either side.
The base cause appears to be a combination of the boggy land on
which the embankment rests, absorption of water (not least from
poorly maintained culverts) and the severe freezing of the 2010
winter.
This embankment gave trouble to the original GWR in about 1924
less than 20 years after the line opened.
After extensive testing, design and validation a three stage
solution has been designed and the contractors started on
6th February. The work has been divided into three
Sections northwards from the actual slip with Section One being the
area of visible collapse. The work initially commissioned covers
the reinstatement of Section One and additional drainage to the
other sections. This is all that funds will presently allow.
Section Three in particular is showing evidence of movement to the
extent that we are advised that works will be necessary before the
track can be used again.
This part "B" on the contract would cost of the order of
£170,000 but as at this date there is a £160,000 shortfall to the
Emergency Appeal Fund. Ironically reaching the original £1 million
target would cover this hopefully final need.
If we are able to raise this sum by May 2012 the Part B works
could be commissioned and trains could run from Cheltenham to
Laverton sometime in August 2012.
Contacts
Malcolm Temple - Chairman and Finance Director
Alan Bielby - Fund Raising Director
Darren Fairley - Properties Director