GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Henley in Arden - New Station: gwrha469

An unidentified GWR Railcar is seen passing through Henley-in-Arden on a down Moor Street to Stratford on Avon local passenger service. The GWR was the largest user of rail cars of all of the railway companies. It was intended to provide a cost effective solution to the transportation of passengers on lightly loaded lines. The use of such vehicles proved a success until the post-war period when the public's love for the motor car and increasing wealth meant that passengers numbers began falling year on year. At the time the problem facing the railways when competing with road transport of any kind was the simple fact that roads were financed by the taxpayer whilst the cost of maintaining expensive track had to be self-financing. Today congestion and the cost of motoring has now evened out the costs but too many lines have been lost in the intervening period.

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