Severn Valley Railway back in action with three trains a day from Saturday 1 August 2020

The Severn Valley Railway, one of the West Midlands’ leading heritage attractions, has announced it will reopen for daily passenger services from Saturday 1 August 2020 with a range of excursions aimed at bringing families together for an enjoyable day out.

The railway will use compartment carriages, to allow each group to travel separately, and tickets must be booked in advance.  An all-in price of £75 per compartment will cover travel for up to six people. 

Two trains will depart from Kidderminster and one from Bridgnorth each morning, taking passengers the full 16 miles length of the line and back. There will be a stop-off at The Engine House Visitor Centre at Highley, and those who start their journey from Bridgnorth will also have the option of stop-offs at the Georgian town of Bewdley and at Kidderminster, with its Railway Museum.

General manager Helen Smith said: “We are hugely excited to be making this announcement after three and a half months of enforced closure because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’ve put a great deal of thought and planning into our offering and have been careful to balance the need for social distancing and other safety measures, with making sure our visitors enjoy a long-awaited and exciting day out.”

It’s planned that each of the three daily services will be steam-hauled – the railway’s engineers will prepare the locomotives and carriages over the coming weeks.

SVR loyalty pass holders and shareholders will receive a full discount on the £75 compartment charge, by using their pass number, and SVR members will receive a discount of £7.50.

Helen added: “It’s very important that the railway starts to generate some passenger income.  These months of closure have had a devastating impact on our finances, and we want to make sure we have a sustainable future. 

“Thanks to generous donations we’ve raised more than £750,000 for our Fight Back Fund, and this, together with that fact that we’re getting the railway back in steam, will help to see us through. We’re really looking forward to seeing everyone back at the SVR!”