One in a million! Glaser family get the VIP treatment at the GWR

5 year old Zacharay Glaser with his 1,000,000th ticket while Mum Amy, Dad John and brother Joshua (8) look on from the carriage window (Ian Crowder)


The family posing with Foremake Hall, the engine that pulled their train at Cheltenham station. Shown are fireman Clive Norton, driver Chris Irving with John and Amy Glaser and their sons Zachary (5) and Joshua (8) (Ian Crowder)

Saturday 18th April was a rather special day for one family who paid a visit to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway to travel on the 2.15 steam train departure from Toddington station to Cheltenham.

As John and Amy Glaser, with their sons Zachary (5) and Joshua (8) arrived to buy their ticket they were told by GWR volunteers that one of them was the railway's one millionth customer!

The boys - who their parents confess are 'train mad' - were thrilled with their great big 'golden' train tickets.

Dad John, who works for specialist Scotch whisky company Compassbox in London, said: "This was such a surprise.

"We were planning to catch an earlier train but got delayed. Just think, if we hadn't been late some other family would have become the celebrities."

The family live at Kew in West London, and were spending the weekend in the Cotswolds. "This is one of the most beautiful parts of Britain and the railway was high on our list of priorities to visit, as the boys are so excited about trains."

They received life membership of the GWR, free first-class travel and a voucher for dinner on the railway's celebrated 'restaurant on wheels', Elegant Excursions.

The GWR started operating over just 700 yards of track in April 1984 - almost exactly 25 years earlier. The line has grown since then to its present 10-mile run through the Cotswold countryside. And it's still growing as the railway is half-way towards Broadway with its extension northwards from Toddington.

Malcolm Temple, volunteer commercial director of the GWR said: "This is a fantastic milestone for the railway. One million passengers over 25 years is an amazing achievement for an all-volunteer organisation.

"We're growing fast so hopefully, passenger number two million will be buying his or her ticket a lot sooner than the next 25 years!"

The GWR now carries about 70,000 passengers per year and has a range of events organised for this year. Over the weekend of 25th and 26th April Postman Pat is visiting. And from May 23rd, the red locomotive that acts as 'Hogwarts Castle' in the Harry Potter films is staying for several days.