With this year’s Cheltenham Festival starting tomorrow (Tuesday), here’s a reminder of how easy it is to travel to the four-day horseracing extravaganza by train.
The Cheltenham Festival takes place until Friday, March 14, and promises to be an event to remember.
Gates open at 10:30 on each day with the first race at 13:20 and the last race at 17:20.
This year, more than 40 Great Western Railway trains (each with as much power as 4,500 horses) will serve Cheltenham Spa station to get racegoers to and from the festival site.
Many of them are being laid on in addition to usual timetabled services to cater for the increase in demand.
Galloping to the festival, extra direct services and trains with more carriages than usual will provide almost 2,000 additional seats from London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa. These will leave London Paddington at 0757, 0832, 0900 and 0932.
To get revellers home again, five extra trains, as well as retimed or strengthened services, will leave Cheltenham towards Swindon and London after 1700, providing 3,000 additional seats.
As well as extra trains between Cheltenham and London, additional services will also operate towards Bristol, and towards Worcester, providing more than 16,000 seats to and from the festival every day.
Those looking to travel by train are, however, warned that a queuing system will prevent jockeying for position at the station on the way home – allowing people to safely board trains.
It is also recommended that people purchase the connecting onward travel Stagecoach Racecourse shuttle bus ticket before arriving at Cheltenham Spa, either at their departure station or on board.
Cheltenham Spa station manager Chloe Coglan said: “We can’t wait to welcome racegoers back again this year.
“It is fantastic that so many people choose to make a day of it and travel by train.
“Just remember, however, that as a result our trains will be extremely busy. To help ease congestion through the station, please do buy the connecting bus ticket before you arrive.
“For the return journey, a queuing system will be in place to help people safely board trains, so please give yourself a little extra time to get home and check the time of your last train home – and that’s even more important if you have come from further afield.”
