Woman rides school railbus again after 60 years

A woman who used to travel to school every day on a railbus made the same journey 60 years later as volunteers restore the transport.

Jan Fisher, 78, who now lives in Wales, used to travel on the railbus W79978 that ran on the Tetbury to Cirencester branch line in Gloucestershire from 1959 to 1964.

Volunteers at the Swindon and Cricklade Railway in Wiltshire acquired the railbus in 2019, and hopes the transport will be ready to used by the public again by 2030.

Fisher along with her daughter was offered a special trip on the railbus after old BBC footage of her was shared riding the line.

The footage showed her boarding the railbus with her father at the Trouble House halt, where he was the landlord.

"Those five important years in my life were made more special because of this bus.

"I clambered aboard and there were friends aboard and it was really good fun," Fisher said.

Fisher shared her stories with the volunteers who are restoring the line.

Martin Rouse, one of the volunteers, said "When we saw the film we thought wouldn't it be good if we could find these people and we did somehow and it's fantastic that Jan's come back.

"We've got some wonderful pictures (from her collection)."

Fisher said taking her daughter, Connie, on the railbus was a full circle moment and they got to sit in her favourite seat, right at the front next to the driver.

"You got some great banter and, of course, it was wonderful to look around the countryside," she said.

Fisher said she could not wait to come back when the railbus was fully restored.

"Martin and his team are doing a wonderful job and if I'm still here in five years time, I hope they'll invite me back," she added.

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