THE beleagured Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway has been “brought to its knees” after suffering a second major embankment collapse within 12 months.

The latest collapse is at the so-called “Chicken Curve” on the Toddington side of Winchcombe station, near to where the railway crosses the B4632 Winchcombe to Broadway road.

It means the GWSR, which is holding an emergency meeting at Toddington tomorrow, faces a £500,000 bill to add to the £1 million cost of repairing the railway – known as the Honeybourne Line – following an embankment failure at Gotherington last year.

Malcolm Temple, chairman of the volunteer-run GWSR, says the railway’s volunteer staff were devastated.

“Last year was the worst in the railway’s 29 years of preservation history. Not only did we suffer the Gotherington collapse, which is subject to a £1m emergency appeal, but several days of our busy Santa Specials were lost because of heavy snow and freezing conditions, costing us between £50,000 and £60,000 in lost revenue.” It is thought it will take several months to complete repairs.

A problem with the embankment was identified earlier this month with remedial work carried out, but the embankment failed completely from what is believed to be a combination of water accumulating under it and the recent freezing conditions.

Mr Temple said: “Unfortunately, our insurers, who are paying for part of the Gotherington collapse, will not be prepared to meet the cost of this latest disaster.

“Our financial reserves have been wiped out. Frankly, this has brought the railway to its knees. It is the biggest challenge our railway has ever faced and is certainly one of the worst disasters to affect any UK heritage railway.”

Details of how to donate to the Emergency Appeal, launched last year, which has raised over £200,000, can be found at gwsr.com.