Trains took to the Vale of Berkeley Railway (VoBR) on Wednesday for a test session ahead of the launch next Friday, July 31st.
VoBR will be running trains on Gloucestershire’s Sharpness branch over three days this summer – offering the first chance to travel on the line since it closed to passengers in 1964.
“Today is the test run in preparation for our Return to Sharpness event which is happening on the 31st of July to the 2nd of August,” explained Pamela Conquer, Trustee of the Vale of Berkeley Railway and project manager for the Return to Sharpness event.
“This is a historic weekend – it marks the 150th anniversary of the first passenger service on the Sharpness branch line, and it’s 62 years since the last passenger service came down the line, so this is a huge event for the Vale of Berkeley Railway.”
Tickets are now on sale for the heritage railway’s Return to Sharpness event, with six trains each day from Friday 31st July to Sunday 2nd August. Passengers will ride on the VoBR’s 1980s Class 143 Pacer set for the eight-mile trip from Sharpness to the end of the branch at Berkeley Road and back.
Return to Sharpness celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first passenger train to Sharpness on 1st August 1876. During each journey, a narrator will tell the story of the line and the Pacer trains. As an extra attraction there’s a chance to be a ‘Driver for a Fiver’ on a Planet diesel shunter at the VoBR’s Oldminster Sidings base.
To help reduce the number of car journeys to the event, the VoBR has organised free return bus services exclusively for Return to Sharpness ticket holders. Timed to connect with trains on the Gloucester to Bristol main line, the bus starts at Cam and Dursley Station, picks up at Cam Pitch and Berkeley High Street and arrives at the Sharpness Sports & Social Club.
The Sharpness Sports & Social Club will also host an exhibition exploring the history of the Sharpness branch, with refreshments and free parking available throughout each day. A shuttle bus will take passengers the short journey from the Club to Oldminster Sidings.
All tickets must be booked via the Vale of Berkeley Railway’s website, which has full event details including the train and bus timetables, at www.vobr.org.uk.
