The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway has taken the difficult decision to suspend all train services until Saturday due to the exceptionally high temperatures forecast across the region this week.
The Cotswold Halt Cafe at Toddington will also remain closed until the weekend.
Professor John Dora, chairman of GWSR PLC said: “The safety and wellbeing of our volunteers, staff and passengers is our highest priority. Many railway duties are undertaken outdoors or in environments where temperatures can become significantly higher than the forecast air temperature, including on locomotive footplates, station platforms and lineside locations.
“Similarly, our vintage carriages are not air-conditioned and can become extremely hot, thanks to solar gain through the windows.”
Prof. Dora added: “As a volunteer-led heritage railway, we believe it is the responsible course of action to not to put our passengers and volunteer staff at risk and pause operations during this period of extreme weather.”
All affected passengers and group bookings are being contacted directly. Customers who have booked tickets will be contacted regarding their options.
“We appreciate that this news will be disappointing, particularly for those who had planned to visit us this week, and we thank everyone for their understanding and support,” Prof. Dora explained.
We look forward to welcoming visitors back from Saturday.
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