COVID-19 symptoms
If you are showing any of the symptoms below or have been in contact with a person with Covid-19 within the last 14 days, then please do not attempt to travel with us:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Loss of taste or smell
Contact our bookings team on 01242 621905 or 01242 621904 who will reschedule your booking at a later date free of charge.
Please ignore our old 2020 Timetable Leaflets
There are still lots of our old 2020 printed calendar, timetable and special events leaflets out in the community at hotels, businesses and the like which we are unable to retrieve. If you come across one, please ignore its contents (except the maps and station locations: we haven't moved!). See the new
calendar,
timetables and the revised and more limited
special events details on our website.
You can also download a leaflet to your smartphone or other device. It provides the timetable and lots of other information.
Booking and Tickets – Tickets are now available
All travel will need to be pre-booked and will be one return journey starting and finishing at Toddington. We will initially make tickets available for the four weeks starting 15th August 2020, including the August Bank Holiday. Please be aware that the operating days around the Bank Holiday will not conform to our new normal operating days of Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, but the timetable options will be set out for you to choose from. Thereafter, tickets will be available to purchase on a rolling two weekly basis to enable us to monitor customer demand.
Historically we have sent tickets by post. We will continue to do this if you require a hard copy ticket, but you will need to allow 7 days as our tickets are printed by a volunteer and not at our offices. In this case we will add a £1 handling charge to the price.
You will however be able to book on-line (up to midday the day before you wish to travel) and print the tickets at home. We will also able to accept your e-ticket being shown to us on your mobile device if you prefer not to print it out. As with a physical or printed ticket it must be shown upon request. Please note, it MUST be the E-TICKET itself shown to our staff and not the email which provides the link to it.
Your tickets will show your carriage and compartment or seat allocation.
Tickets will need to be presented at Toddington for inspection before you will be allowed onto the platform; sanitiser will be available after you enter the platform and we urge use of this by anyone boarding the trains to reduce potential contamination. Carriages, compartments and seats will be clearly marked and we will have station assistants available to help with directions. Information will be supplied outlining the controls in place for your journey including: boarding, cleanliness, social distancing etc.
Wheelchairs
We will have space on our train for ONE pre-booked wheelchair only. Wheelchair requirements MUST be included at the time of booking - PLEASE CALL ON 01242 621405 to check availability prior to booking.
One carer may travel free with any fare paying disabled person. They will need to produce the disabled person's online ticket with the date of travel entered in order to receive the concession ticket.
Dogs
We regret that Covid-19 measures mean that we will not be able carry dogs (except for assistance dogs) for the time being.
Journey
All travel will need to be pre-booked and will be one return journey starting and finishing at Toddington; other stations will not be open to visitors or be alternative boarding points. If you would like to finish your journey and your visit to the Railway early by leaving the train at Cheltenham or Broadway this is possible by inform the Guard when you board. Please be aware that you will not be able to return on a different train unless separate tickets have been purchased for the two trains.
There will be short stops of around 20 minutes at Cheltenham and Broadway for the locomotive to change ends. Passengers will be able to leave the train but we ask that social distancing is observed.
The Train
We will be running six-carriage trains; five carriages will be compartment stock, and each compartment will be available at a minimum cost of £50 for up to two people, with each additional person costing £10 up to a maximum total of 6 people per compartment. We ask that you adhere to the government rules regarding whom you are traveling with within the compartment i.e. not sharing with strangers. The sixth carriage will be an open coach and will have seating available for individuals and couples at a cost of £25 per person.
We have limited the number of people in the carriages to ensure that we can conform to the government’s guidance on social distancing, so we ask that customers limit movement around the train and observe social distancing rules on platforms and carparks etc. Please do not stand in the corridors.
Carriages and seats will be clearly marked and we will have station assistants available to help with directions.
In line with other transport bodies and following good practice, face coverings will be required by passengers travelling on our services and whilst on the platform. These may be removed whilst seated in a compartment. Those exempt include children under 11 years old, passengers with disabilities, those with breathing difficulties and anyone travelling with someone who relies on lip reading. Face coverings can be temporarily removed while eating.
Pushchairs and buggies
We have had to change the types of carriages in use and so we can only accommodate small, foldable buggies on the train, which must be put inside your booked compartment. Also, there is no storage space at the station so, if possible, please carry young children onto the train and leave pushchairs and buggies in your car.