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Avon Valley Railway (Bitton Station)

A steam train pulling up to the platform Bitton Station plays host to the Avon Valley Railway. They have around five miles of track which runs parallel to the Bristol to Bath cycle path.

The small cafe is open most days, so it's great to be able to walk down on a Saturday morning and have a cup of coffee or a cold drink on the platform (or in the buffet carriage).

Pictures

The Cycle Path next to the tracks Here are some pictures of the station in operation and its surroundings to give you a flavour.

This first picture shows the cycle path running alongside the tracks. You can be happily walking along, and a steaming hulk will hurtle past (and I don't mean an unfit cyclist!

This is Bitton Station as it is now. The entrance to the cafe is on the other, platform side.

This is a view along the platform.

It's great to be able to wander down on a weekend morning when the weather is nice and sit on the platform with a cuppa and some chips.

Either side of the main summer season it's nice and quiet.

There always seem to be lots of eager volunteers on hand to keep everything running along smoothly.

I've never subscribed to the let's-get-as-oily-as-we-can club, much preffering to tinker with a clean PC.

There are both steam and diesel units, and each takes turns at shunting the carriages up and down the short stretch of track.
A steam engine

It's free to wander onto the platform and watch the trains travelling backwards and forwards along their short route. You only pay if you want to ride.