Hopes trains could return on long-closed railway

As the first passenger train on a long-closed railway opens to the public, volunteers have shared hopes it could signal the return of a more regular service.

The Vale of Berkeley Railway - which originally connected the port of Sharpness to the main Bristol and Gloucester Railway and Severn Railway Bridge - has been brought back to life by a team of volunteers.

After more than a decade of work, the railway line has opened for the first time in more than 60 years to passengers to mark the 150th anniversary of the first passenger train to Sharpness.

Howard Parker, chair of the Vale of Berkeley Railway Trust, said he had been "very touched" by the excitement around the three-day event.

"A lot of people felt very strongly that it was a nice thing to bring back," he added.

"It signals to local authorities and [other agencies] that having a train service is a very beneficial thing for the community."

The line was closed in the 1960s under the Beeching Cuts, but a small section survived for freight traffic, which is currently being transformed into a heritage railway attraction.

It is the first time the volunteers have run a scheduled service, with six trains a day planned - starting from Oldminster and proceeding along the entire railway before turning back. The scheduled service will end on Sunday.

The branch line to Sharpness originally continued onto the Severn Railway Bridge which linked the area to Lydney.

It was damaged in 1960 when it was struck by two barges, leading to the death of five men, and later demolished.

"So many people that we've met [at the event] remember it from the old days," said Parker.

"Some people used to live in the area... can remember the last train and that was in 1964. So it's quite a special occasion, really."

Fellow volunteer Pamela Conquer said the event showed the "perfectly viable branch line" could be used to improve connections for people living in Berkeley and Sharpness.

"We're showing you can run trains up and down it using a scheduled service, they could reopen the station at Berkeley and we could create a new station at Newtown," she added.

"That would be a real dream, not just for us as a Heritage Railway, but actually for these communities too."

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