THE Cotswolds' heritage railway has been given £25,000 by insurance company Aviva to build a brand-new visitor centre.

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway plans to build the centre at its station at Winchcombe, about half way between Cheltenham and Broadway, towards which the line is currently being extended.

One of the main reasons to build the centre is to provide educational facilities for the growing number of school visits to the railway

The proposed two-storey, stone-built building will also be available for community use as a "village hall", a display space for local arts and crafts events, a training facility for the railway’s volunteer staff, a reception area for special occasions on the railway and a home for the railway’s archives.

The railway won the award thanks to votes from member of the public, who nominated their favourite projects for the Aviva Community Fund.

Chris Bristow, the railway’s finance director, said: “This is a tremendous success and that so many people voted for the visitor centre speaks volumes for the affection that people have for our railway.

"I want to thank all of those who voted and of course Aviva for making this possible. The project ticks several of the Fund’s aims. We are playing an increasingly important role in the lives of local people as well as the wider tourism economy and this project will help to cement that relationship for the long-term.”

The total cost of the new centre is £300,000, with funding also coming from the Friends of Winchcombe Station and the charitable Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust.

The railway is extending its line to Broadway, being funded through a public share offer that has now reached £955,000 and is expected to open in 2018.

A new station halt is being built at Hailes to serve the National Trust abbey there. The halt, slated to open later this year, will be very similar to the one there that closed in 1960.