Next weekend, the historic Sharpness branch railway line in Gloucestershire will celebrate its 150th anniversary by reopening to passengers for the first time in 62 years.
The Sharpness branch originally opened on August 1, 1876, running from Berkeley Road station to the port town of Sharpness, covering a distance of four miles. Passenger services ceased in 1964, and since then the line has been used exclusively for freight trains.
To commemorate this milestone, the Vale of Berkeley Railway Charitable Trust will operate passenger services for three days only, from Friday, July 31 to Sunday, August 2. Six round-trip services will run daily, with the first departure at 9:45am and the last at 3:45pm.
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Passengers will enjoy a 45-minute, eight-mile round trip beginning and ending at Oldminster Sidings. The journey aboard the Trust’s 1980s Class 143 Pacer train takes visitors past the site of the former Berkeley Station and towards Berkeley Road junction. A live narration will provide insights into the history of the Sharpness branch and the iconic Pacer trains.
Tickets are priced at £20 for adults and £10 for children and include access to an accompanying exhibition at the nearby Sharpness Sports & Social Club. Additionally, railway enthusiasts can opt for the “Drivers for a Fiver” experience, which offers a supervised opportunity to drive the Planet diesel locomotive around Oldminster Sidings for 10–15 minutes. Participants must be 18 or older and meet eyesight requirements for a UK driving test.
Beyond celebrating railway heritage, the event supports the continued development of the Vale of Berkeley Railway’s facilities at Oldminster Sidings, aiming to establish the line as a community asset for Sharpness.
To encourage sustainable travel, free return bus services will operate from Cam and Dursley stations for ticket holders. These buses connect with trains from Gloucester and Bristol, also stopping at Cam Pitch and Berkeley High Street on the way to the Sports & Social Club.