Gotherington slip repairs - Week 2

The weather has been kind and the progress good. The excavation was completed by the end of the week.

This was despite finding a wet area halfway down the embankment and extra drainage needing to be installed.

So on Friday we were able to undertake a trial of the stone train delivery method. The Racecourse is very kindly letting us use their land at Cheltenham Racecourse to stock pile the stone and the dogfish wagons are loaded there.

In order to empty the wagons RJ Clarke created a bespoke chute which needed some tweaks as the day progressed. We also required the help of the PWay team.

Overall a very successful week. We have approximately 2000 tonnes of material to reinstate and the stone train delivers 80 tonnes a time. It is also not simply a case of dumping the stone in situ. The stone must be compacted in suitable layers.

So the next few weeks will be busy. Additional thanks must be given to those Drivers & Signalman doing extra shifts to enable this repair to go ahead.

Cheers,

Sarah (Infrastructure Manager)

Gotherington slip repairs - Week 1

During February 2026 GWSR suffered another land slip on the Malvern side of the embankment between Gotherington and Bishop’s Cleeve. This is unfortunately the 3rd slip in a short section of the line. A length approximately 20m long failed in a combined translational/rotational movement. 

GWSR then engaged with the Geotechnical Consultancy, Tony Gee, to run analysis in order to support the Railway in implementing a risk management procedure for railway operations. Part of this process was to instigate a 5mph speed restriction in the area of the slip. Thankfully this has enabled the the railway to run passenger trains to Cheltenham Racecourse in the short term before the embankment could be remediated.

Subsequently Tony Gee were able to provide the Railway with a repair design which we are trying to complete before the Steam Gala at the end of May. The Steam Gala has services planned along the full line from Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway. If the slip is not repaired then a revised timetable for the gala would be needed. This has potential to lead to significant disruption & to loss of revenue.

Last week the chosen contractor, RJ Clarke, started on site. 

The first activity is the removal of the failed material (in both section and plan extents). This will continue on this week (further benching) prior to construction of a granular re-grade with a shallower slope angle to reinstate the crest line of the embankment.

The failed material is being spread at the toe of the embankment to provide extra stability as a toe weight and to also provide material for the granular material to key into.

Passenger services have now stopped mid-week to enable the contractor the best chance of completing the works in the tight timeframe. The railway is working hard to maintain as much of the advertised service as possible while ensuring the safety of our passengers, volunteers, and infrastructure. I will continue to provide updates as work progresses. 

The railway is grateful to the supporting Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust  which is funding the repair costs. Donations to the Trust’s general funds can be made here: www.gwrt.org.uk/donate/how-to-donate 

Thanks,

Sarah Clayton

(Infrastructure Manager)