Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway Reviews Summary

Heritage Railway Experience

Pros:

• "What an amazing heritage railway. 14 miles of beautiful scenery."
• "Enjoyed going on both the diesel train and later the steam train home."
• "Lovely playground in Toddington."
• "The staff compared to other heritage railways were very friendly, courteous and knowledgeable."
• "The cafe served a decent cuppa, the toilets were clean and the car park costs were very good and not expensive."
• "The volunteers are really friendly, engaging and informative."
• "The stations are normally in the middle of nowhere. So you would have to either walk for a while or get a taxi to the nearest villages."
• "The staff are so friendly and most are volunteers."

Cons:

• "Had to pay cash at the Toddington cafe because their WiFi wasn't working but apparently this was unusual."
• "During drought times steam services are limited but personally I am just as interested in heritage diesels."
• "A pity that the main shed at Toddington doesn't have a viewing platform."
• "Difficult one to review…As a family of 4 with two young kids I would give this a 1⭐️ as it’s too long to have them cooped up on a train."
• "We were told the train in the station was our last chance to get back to Cheltenham when in fact there was a later diesel we could have caught."
• "Good experience but I was expecting better views and a more agile ride. Too long and too many stops for me."
• "What a sad excuse for a preserved railway. Visited many and had a great time but this is the exception to the rule."
• "Very poor day of disorganised shambolic timetabling."

Customer Service and Staff

Pros:

• "Wonderful staff who couldn't have been more helpful and friendly."
• "Staffs is very proactive, he saw me sitting down working on map, he just approached me and show me where n how to get around."
• "Great staffs n great experience, v arrived slightly b4 10am on Easter Monday."
• "The volunteers were happy to explain. The stations are normally in the middle of nowhere."
• "What a wonderful experience! Kudos to the volunteers that make this happen!"
• "Outstanding! The volunteers are really friendly, engaging and informative."
• "There are some lovely people in this world and they all seem to volunteer for the G&WR."
• "Staff were beyond friendly, welcoming."

Cons:

• "I was told when I rang the railway ahead of our visit that trains don't run on Friday's as this is the day that maintenance is done."
• "We drove to Toddington to find the carparks were closed and locked!"
• "Very poor day of disorganised shambolic timetabling."
• "Also extremely poor buffet service in regard to other preserved lines, as no hot snacks, or real ale."
• "Which is another huge revenue earning mistake!"

Facilities and Attractions

Pros:

• "The stations are beautifully kept with great cafes at three stations."
• "There was a steam train, diesel and diesel multiple running."
• "Very organised staff who were all professional, friendly and helpful."
• "Station cafe had great food and the old railway relics were fantastically restored."
• "Beautiful scenic heritage railway running through some lovely countryside."
• "The on site facilities were very good."
• "Enjoyable day out. A pity that the main shed at Toddington doesn't have a viewing platform."
• "The cafe served a decent cuppa, the toilets were clean and the car park costs were very good and not expensive."

Cons:

• "Had to pay cash at the Toddington cafe because their WiFi wasn't working."
• "During drought times steam services are limited but personally I am just as interested in heritage diesels."
• "A pity that the main shed at Toddington doesn't have a viewing platform."
• "We were told the train in the station was our last chance to get back to Cheltenham when in fact there was a later diesel we could have caught."
• "Good experience but I was expecting better views and a more agile ride."
• "Very poor day of disorganised shambolic timetabling."
• "The train with 6 adults and 3 children was good value for money, shame that the cafe at Toddington was not."
• "Not sure how they can justify the mark up on the soft drinks, next time its take your own methinks."