Sunday – March 6th, 2016 – marked the 50th anniversary of the final passenger train passing the Avon Valley Railway from Mangotsfield to Bath, Green Park. The occasion was marked with the unveiling of a plaque at Avon Riverside Station.
The event also marked the start of the Avon Valley Railway appeal to relay the railway from Avon Riverside to Newbridge, Bath.
Ben said of the day
“I am a train enthusiast and was delighted to have lunch on the Pines Express dining train, with the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, Dame Janet Trotter DBE, during the journey from Bitton to Avon Valley before celebrating the plaque unveiling.
Heritage and Bath are synonymous with tourists flocking to Bath to celebrate its great heritage. With the electrification of the main line from Bristol to London, I believe we are entering another great era of train travel.
With the 175th anniversary of Brunel’s first journey from Bristol to Paddington this summer, I very much support the proposed extension from Avon Valley to Newbridge and hope to also be on hand to unveil that in the years ahead.”
