Dean Forest Railway
The Dean Forest Railway is a 4+1⁄4-mile (6.8 km) long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
| Dean Forest Railway | |
|---|---|
9681 north of Lydney Junction station | |
| Locale | West Gloucestershire |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | Severn & Wye Railway |
| Original gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) (prior to 1868) 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge (1868 to 1872) 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge (from 1872) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Stations | 5 open |
| Length | 4+1⁄4 miles (6.8 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1813 |
| 1868 | Converted to 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) Brunel gauge |
| 1872 | Converted to 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Closed | 1977 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1970 | The Society is formed |
| 1971 | First open day at Parkend |
| 1978 | First open day at Norchard |
| 1983 | The Duke of Gloucester visits |
| 1986 | Route purchased from BR |
| 1991 | Norchard to Lakeside opened |
| 1995 | Lakeside to Junction opened |
| 2001 | Lydney Town opened |
| 2002 | Norchard to Tufts opened |
| 2003 | Tufts to Whitecroft opened |
| 2006 | Parkend opened by Princess Anne |
| 2012 | Whitecroft opened |
| Headquarters | Norchard |
The route was part of the former Severn and Wye Railway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. The society that operates the line started steam locomotive operations in 1971, and bought the trackbed and line from British Rail in 1986, reaching Lydney Junction in 1995 and Parkend in 2005. Trains are operated by both steam and heritage diesel locomotives, and heritage diesel multiple units.
The Dean Forest Railway has been given the former Griffithstown Station building. Its removal was completed in June 2016, and is expected to be placed at the new upcoming Speech House Road.
CrossCountry are now providing a combined fare for travel to Lydney mainline station (on CrossCountry services only) and then onto the Dean Forest Railway.
The Dean Forest Railway plans to extend its heritage services a further 2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km) through/into the middle of the Royal Forest at Speech House Road (close to the nearby Beechenhurst Visitor Attraction), bringing the line to a total of about 6+3⁄4 miles (10.9 km) in length. In 2016, DFR's director of civil engineering and director of development Jason Shirley announced plans to expand the railway to Cinderford. The project's status as a strategic regional development means that a large proportion of the estimated £8million cost could be met by Government funding.