Address: The Railway Station, Toddington, Gloucestershire GL54 5DT

Toddington Station: Refreshments, souvenirs, gifts, museum, narrow gauge railway

The Great Western Railway obtained permission in 1869 to construct a railway from Honeybourne to Cheltenham, connecting to the existing line from Strafford-upon-Avon to Honeybourne. This created a new through route from the midlands to the south west. Work started in 1902 with the line being opened in stages, it was completed in 1906 with a timetable of ten trains a day in each direction.

First through trains were introduced in 1910 going from Wolverhampton to the south west. Later passenger trains served Birmingham, Cardiff and many west country towns. Cheltenham Race Course station opened in 1912, this resulted in extra passenger traffic and the conveyance of horses on race days.

The 1930s were a busy time for the line with up to twelve express trains on summer saturdays as well as the local passenger service and freight. After the war the route was still successful, it carried many holiday makers in the summer months to resorts in the south west. 1952 saw the naming of the Wolverhampton-Penzance express as "The Cornishman".

A slow decline started in the late 50s with stations being closed. By 1968 the line was only being used for carrying freight and when there were race meetings at Cheltenham. A coal train was derailed in 1976 causing considerable damage to the track, this effectively closed line.

Steam locomotives in use include No.5619 GWR 0-6-2T, No.7903 GWR 'Foremarke Hall' 4-6-0, No.92203 BR 'Black Prince' 2-10-0, No.3440 GWR 'City of Truro' 4-4-0 and No.15 LNER 0-6-0. Fortunately there are excellent workshop facilities so there are many locomotives being restored to working order.

Dean Forest Railway

Norchard Station: Refreshments, souvenirs, gifts, museum, riverside walk, picnic area

Lydney Station: Connection to mainline station 10 minutes walk

In May 1867 the decision was made to build a broad gauge branch line from Lydney to Parkend. Promoted by the Severn and Wye Valley Railway it was opened to freight traffic in April 1869. Transporting coal and iron ore were the main sources of income although a passenger service started on 23 September 1875. The Severn and Wye Valley Railway merged with the Severn Bridge Railway in 1885, giving the Midland Railway access to both companies lines.

Passenger services stopped with no trains north of Lydney after July 1929, apart from the occasional special excursion. A petrol tanker struck the Severn Railway Bridge in October 1960 demolishing the two centre spans and killing five people. This ended passenger services from Lydney, the bridge was dismantled in 1970. Coal trains from Lydney Junction to Parkend continued until closure in 1976 

In 1970 the Dean Forest Railway Society was formed to preserve the branch line from Lydney to Parkend. The Society was based at Parkend, coal trains were still running on the railway at this time. Due to the limited space at Parkend it was decided to move the Society to Norchard in 1974, this became the headquarters of the railway.

British Rail announced in the early 80s that it no longer required the branch and the Dean Forest Railway (DFR) started negotiations which resulted in the successful purchase of the line. By 1991 the DFR had reached St. Mary's Halt which was at that time called Lydney Lakeside. Part of the redundant Lyney Junction site was acquired, a new station was built opening in 1995. The next project was a station at Lydney Town which the DFR completed in 2001. Originally closed to passenger traffic in 1929 the station at Parkend was reopened to the public in 2006.

One steam locomotive is operational present No.9681 BR 0-6-0PT.  Diesels are well represented at the railway with a large number of DMUs and locomotives.

Avon Valley Railway

Address: Bitton Station, Bath Road, Bitton, Bristol BS30 6HD

Bitton Station: Refreshments, souvenirs, gifts

Avon Riverside: Picnic area, boat trips

Parliamentary approval was granted in July 1864 for a branch line from Mangotsfield to Bath. Opened on 4 August 1869 the initial service was nine trains a day in each direction from Bristol to Bath.

Two new routes were connected to the Magotsfield-Bath line. The Somerset and Dorset Railway opened a northern terminus at Bath Green station this gave the London, Midland and Scottish Railway running rights. Another junction to the London and South Western Railway meant it became a major route from the north and midlands to the south coast. As early as the 1880s there were six trains daily from Manchester to Bournemouth via Bath. This was in later years to become the famous "Pines Express".

Bitton goods yard was kept busy sending paper to London from the Golden Valley Paper Mills. Goods handled also included Soda from Keynsham, coal, yellow ochre from Golden Valley, other freight included flowers and produce from local growers to be transported to Bristol. 

A large number of passengers used the route especially in the summer months when families went on holiday to the beaches of Dorset and the English south coast. Many extra trains were added at peak times to cope with the demand. During the 1930s the complete line was upgraded to take the largest express locomotives. 

In the 1950s goods and passenger traffic started to decline. Unfortunately there is another line on the opposite side of the Avon which also connects Bristol to Bath, it was deemed unnecessary  to have two different routes. Passenger trains stopped on 7 March 1966 with coal traffic continuing until July 1971. Track lifting began in May 1972 and by the end of June 1972 all the rails had gone.

A railway society was started in 1972 with the ambitious aims of re-opening the complete Bristol-Magotsfield route. They leased Bitton station from British Rail and began to restore the buildings which were dilapidated. By 1974 100 yards of rail had been laid culminating in the first train rides. Work continued to extend the line northwards to Oldham Halt. Despite the track laying being completed in 1988 a number of years passed before trains could run because of a legal dispute with adjacent landowners. Eventually the Avon Valley Railway (AVR) won the case and trains were allowed to go to "Oldland Common",  as the new station was called.

Further expansion of the AVR northwards became impossible due to road building and housing developments. So plans were made to extend towards the River Avon and Bath  A new station opened in 2004 called "Avon Riverside", it was a major project which took four years to complete.

Two steam locomotive are operational at the AVR No.7151 0-6-0T and No.4015 'Karel' with four diesel locomotives/DMUs also available.

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