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Woman rides school railbus again after 60 years

Steve KnibbsGloucestershire, Cricklade
Keystone/Getty Images/BBC A side‑by‑side comparison showing a black‑and‑white historic photograph and a modern colour image of a person stepping down from a railway carriage, both holding the handrails. The photo is of the same person over 60 years apart on the same green railbusKeystone/Getty Images/BBC
Jan Fisher was able to recreate a photograph taken of her in 1964

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 hope the transport will be ready to be used by the public again by 2030.

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

A still frame from a black‑and‑white film showing a young girl wearing a coat and patterned scarf standing by the open door of a railbus with another passenger partially visible behind them.”
Jan is featured in the BBC film from 1959 aged 11 getting on the railbus with her father

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," Jan said.

A woman stands on a railway platform with one hand resting on a green vintage rail carriage, with station buildings and tracks visible behind them under a cloudy sky.
Jan said she could not wait to come back when the railbus was fully restored

Jan 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)."

Chris Ware A black-and-white photo of Janet Fisher - then Janet Peare - waiting for the railbus service to Kemble. She is walking up the platform, towards the camera and is carrying some books. She wears a smart coat and has her hair up. A railbus is approaching behind her.Chris Ware
Jan had her photograph taken for news reports when the line closed in 1964

Jan 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.

Connie Fisher Two women sit side by side inside a railbus carriage, with their arms around each other, with station buildings and a train visible through the window behind them.Connie Fisher
Fisher had a "full circle" moment taking her daughter on the railbus

Jan 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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