GWSR | Cotswold Festival of Steam Gala | 23-25 May 2026

Timetables for GWSR gala
Saturday - TBC CotsFestivalofSteam 2026 PTT Combined v1.0
Sunday - TBC CotsFestivalofSteam 2026 PTT Combined v1.0
Monday - TBC CotsFestivalofSteam 2026 PTT Combined v1.0
Still TBC on one loco it seems....

 

Looks like I'll have 50 mins for the walk from Lansdown to Racecourse if there's no bus. Doable at my pace, hope it's dry.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this the bus service that you require? <BJ>

D_E_310825.pdf

 

With all due respect - any news regarding the bus shuttle will be gratefully appreciated. I am fully aware that there is a public transport link but add the waiting and transport times of that would not make the trip viable for me if I am only able to do a day. Please can this be confirmed ASAP for 1) reassurance, 2) cost consideration, 3) time consideration and 4) potential hotel and transport booking availability. I can't book accommodation on the off-chance.

 

i would presume the private bus link will not be running to the Gala as would of been announced by now have used the bus to the park and ride and it works well most of the time

 

I totally agree with you. I don't like to queue for a bus and would much rather miss the gala . [BJ]

 

a bus every ten minutes for most of the day and a journey of around 20 minutes looks like a pretty good service. Beggars belief that some people don’t think that’s adequate and would rather walk or miss the gala.

 

Many accommodation booking sites offer free cancellation. That’s how I do mine. Removes the risk in the event of plans changing etc.

 

The walk from the bus stop at the racecourse to the station is actually quite long (about 0.6 miles), and up a steep hill. My wife certainly couldn't manage it with her bad leg.

As I said up thread, it seems daft that the service buses pass right by the station entrance but don't/can't stop!

 

That would likely stop me as well had I been planning to attend. I know half a mile does not sound much but for some of us it just becomes too far if up a slope/hill.

 

Ah,

So the park and ride isn’t immediately adjacent to the racecourse station. Seems odd that the bus company doesn’t add the station to its list of stops.

 

Also sadly the timings for Monday (probably a Sunday service) mean that I'm likely to miss one bus and next bus is touch and go with the walk from the bus stop.
I like to get my steps in anyway.

 

Its not that I don't think the public bus service is inadequate its more of...if I can only do 1 day (which is looking like Monday) does spending £100+ make viable sense if there is a risk of missing even the second departure off Cheltenham based on the time I will arrive at the GWSR station being 9:41. Doesn't give a lot of spare time in the event of a queue and if the 9:45 isn't held. I personally don't like the idea of arriving the day before and staying overnight

 

Interesting timetables, still working on proposed trains/loco's to ride.
However, Saturday 2807 arrives Toddington 14.16 on the goods from the south, then advertised as departing 14.37 from Winchcombe heading north on passenger to Broadway. Wishful thinking including a light engine move presumably, recipe for late running, always part of gala fun . Same timetabling on the other days has different loco on the 14.37 than the 14.16.

 

Looking at timetable and comparing Saturday and Sunday, it looks like the 2.37 from Winchcombe could be with 78022 which detaches from the rear of the 13.29 Broadway-Cheltenham train. Sundays timetable has a -W mark where’s as Saturdays does not.

 

Still waiting with bated breath to see what "TBC" is. I'm expecting anything from Flying Scotsman to Thomas the Tank Engine!

 

Agreed, looks like if you swap 2807 for 78022 on the 14.37 everything balances out for the rest of the day.

 

We did have it down as 4472 for a while on the working timetable as a joke placeholder number, it was tempting to release it like that!

 

Well I hope it's not an industrial loco, but it's diagrammed for the 7 coach and 6 coach sets, so likely to be something bigger.