The in-depth story of the beginnings and subsequent re-opening of the line between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway. We see archive films of the line from the mid 1960s through to closure in the mid 1970s with a summary of the route between Stratford Upon Avon and Cheltenham and all the stations and halts in between. We follow the rebirth of the railway with its heritage base at Toddington beginning in the 1980s and later its arrival at Winchcombe and Cheltenham Race Course Station in 2003. The latest section to be rebuilt was to Broadway where we see the grand re-opening day in 2018.

The programme takes a look at the rebuilding of each station along the line which were demolished in the 1970s and resurrected by volunteers over a 20 to 40-year period.

Sequences of the construction of the new station buildings at Broadway and the very first trains to arrive at this current terminus in the north. ‘Return to Broadway’ celebrations are seen with Nos. 35006 P&O Line and 7903 Foremark Hall.

Steam operations during all the recent gala events with visiting locomotives, such as ‘Schools’ Class Cheltenham, ‘King’ 6023 King Edward II, ‘Britannia’ 70013 Oliver Cromwell and more recent galas with new-build 2999 Lady of Legend, 6880 Betton Grange, ‘Castle’ 4076 Pendennis Castle, a number of visiting small tank engines and many others.

The latest improvements at Winchcombe and new buildings on Platform 2 at Broadway feature as do the restorations of engines such as 2874 and 76077. Altogether, a complete record of the run-down of the railway in BR times and the triumphant re-opening of this volunteer-led preserved line in the glorious Cotswolds.

Revised 2026 edition

Produced by - Kingfisher Productions
Running time -  75 minutes
DVD only
Released - Late June 2026