Reminder!!!!!

March 31st, April 1st & April 14th & 15th
Pre-book & save now !

For full information about our operating dates in 2012 and details of the timetable that will be in operation, please go to the 'Planning Your Visit' section of the website.

Not only will you be able to check the dates that our train service is in operation, you will also be able to view departure times from each of our stations.

This section now also gives up-to-date details about when Special Events are planned throughout the year.

Click here for 'Calendar & Timetable' information.

The Severn Valley Railway is seeking to improve station facilities at Bridgnorth.

As part of this development work the SVR are pleased to announce that Howl Associates, an architectural firm from Kidderminster, were successful in their tender for working on Bridgnorth plan. 

Howl will be working with a small SVR steering group to develop plans for the Bridgnorth Station site that will see improvements in station facilities and attractions. 

Further announcements will be made here in the near future.

Thomas is back at the SVR ! ! !

March 31st, April 1st, 14th & 15th

Come and meet Thomas the Tank Engine TM, every child’s No. 1 blue engine, as he makes a welcome return to the Severn Valley Railway for two weekends over the school Easter holidays. Sir Topham Hatt, the Fat Controller will also be there to make sure that the engines behave themselves. Take a ride to the Imagination Station behind some of Thomas’s other friends.

Advance booking is strongly advised

Click here for more information

Click here to book tickets

Reminder!!!!!

March 31st, April 1st & April 14th & 15th
Pre-book & save now !

With thanks to all the children who took part in our half-term colouring competition, we list below the winning entries. More winners will follow during the next few days.

Under 7s

Lily P. from Knowbury

Millie D. from Wordsley

Ethan D. from Wordsley

Phoebe H. from Leamington Spa

Evie M. from Redditch

Lily-Grace H. from Newport

Olly R from Leamington Spa

Jasper C. from Moseley

Over 7s

Matthew P. from Shifnal

Diana W. from Kidderminster

James H. from Droitwich

Lewis McD. from Wolverhampton

Poppy G. from Walsall

Each of the winning entries will receive a voucher for a family visit to the Severn Valley Railway during the summer months. These vouchers will be sent to the winners by post during the next few days.

Our brand new service for 2012

Now booking !

Travel in our diesel unit from Kidderminster, calling at Bewdley and Arley on the way to our Visitor Centre at Highley.

On arrival at Highley you are welcome to tour the exhibitions and displays before enjoying a supper from our curry buffet which includes a free beer or soft drink.

£20.00 per person

Return train travel, your curry and a beer (or soft drink) are included in the price.

Bar facilities are available on the train.

Reminder!!!!!

March 31st, April 1st & April 14th & 15th
Pre-book & save now ! ! !

Most of our brochures are available for you to download here at our website. Our Useful Downloads page provides links to all our brochures. They can be downloaded to your own computer and printed if you wish.

Our brochures for 2012 are now available as follows:

Calendar & Timetable

Restaurant Car Dining

Footplate Experience

Group Travel

Activities for Schools

Day Out With Thomas

Local Residents Railcard

SVR Membership

If you only need information from one page, this page may be selected and printed. This saves on both ink and paper.

If you experience difficulty with downloading our brochures or your computer appears unable to do so it may be because you do not have access to Adobe Reader software. Download this software free here.

If you are a hotel, guest house, caravan or camping site or a tourist information office and require a bulk supply of our brochures please give us a call on 01299 403816. We will  be happy to add you to our database.

Reminder!!!!!

March 31st, April 1st & April 14th & 15th
Pre-book & save now ! ! !

We are pleased to announce that on-line booking will shortly become available for most of our restaurant car services.

Our on-line Ticket Office and Giftshop have been available for some time and have become increasingly popular as an easy and convenient way of booking tickets for travel and purchasing goods at home at any time of the day or night.

We hope that you will find that this new facility complements our other on-line services.

On-line restaurant car booking will include the following:

Choice of train you would like to dine on and your preferred departure station.

Choice of starters and main courses (desserts can be chosen on the day).

Add a bottle of your favourite wine if you wish.

Complete your order with the correct train tickets for the day.

It just couldn't be easier. Watch out for the opening date and then why not give booking on-line a try?

Reminder!!!!!

March 31st, April 1st & April 14th & 15th
Pre-book & save now ! ! !

WHILE ‘Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows’ - part-filmed at the Severn Valley Railway – continues to set new box office records at home and abroad, the Kidderminster to Bridgnorth steam heritage line has again been chosen for location filming – this time for a new BBC 2 drama.

Directed by the acclaimed playwright and dramatist Stephen Poliakoff, sequences for ‘Dancing on the Edge’, a five-part dramatisation, were filmed  at Kidderminster and Bewdley stations, coincident with the railway’s half-term holiday steam trains, on its start-up week of the 2012 season.

Reminder!!!!!

March 31st, April 1st & April 14th & 15th
Pre-book & save now ! ! !

Freedom of the Line - our best value fare!

Sometimes also known as day rover tickets, these tickets are, without doubt, the best value for a great day out.

Available for adults, seniors, children and families, Freedom of the Line permits unlimited train journeys throughout your chosen day plus free admission to The Engine House, our Visitor Centre at Highley.

Adults - £16.50     Seniors - £15.00   Children - £8.50 (4 to 15 years)  

Family - £44.50 (2ad + 4ch)

Freedom of the Line -  pre-book & save at 2010 prices - purchased online here at our Ticket Office or by telephone at least five working days in advance of your visit:

Adults - £15.50     Seniors - £14.00   Children - £7.75 (4 to 15 years)     

Family - £42.00 (2ad + 4ch)

A booking fee of £1.00 will be added to all pre-book & save ticket purchases.

Check your fare here.

Valid on dates when timetables A, B, & C are in operation. Not available on certain dates marked as special events in our timetable when other fares may apply. Family tickets are also now available, at the appropriate rate, on special event days.

Through Tickets from your Local Station

Did you know that you can purchase through tickets from your local station which include travel on the SVR? Just ask for Bridgnorth (SVR) at your local railway station or travel centre.

These tickets are now just as flexible as Freedom of the Line permitting unlimited travel for one day between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth with breaks in your journey at any of our stations, as you travel north and south, if you wish. Admission to The Engine House, our Visitor Centre at Highley is now also included.

Transfer between National Rail and the SVR at Kidderminster is an easy 50 yard walk.

Click here for live information about London Midland trains to Kidderminster today.

Fares will vary depending on the mainline station at which you begin your journey.

Reminder!!!!!

March 31st, April 1st & April 14th & 15th
Pre-book & save now ! ! !

During the summer months we operate timetable C on Saturdays and certain bank holidays. A service, hauled by a diesel locomotive, operates on these days in addition to our normal steam service.

Proposed locomotives are listed below. This list will be updated as soon as possible and is subject to change, for operational reasons, at short notice.

Diesel locomotives are also used to operate our Diesel Footplate Experience courses which take place on certain Sundays. These trains are not available for public use. The locomotive used on these services will usually be the same one operating on the preceding Saturday.

We expect that the following locomotives will be in use, but for operational reasons, this plan is subject to change at short notice.

Key to Timetable 'A'

Train AN1: 10.25 & 2.00 ex-Bridgnorth         & 12.20 & 4.00 ex-Kidderminster
Train AS1: 10.35 & 2.05 ex-Kidderminster  & 12.10 & 3.55 ex-Bridgnorth
Train AS2: 12.50              ex-Kidderminster  & 2.40                ex-Bridgnorth [Restaurant Car - Sunday only]

Saturday 18^th February - table A

Train AN1: 5164
Train AS1: 43106

Sunday 19^th February - table A

Train AN1: 5164
Train AS1: 43106
Train AS2: 42968

Monday 20^th – Friday 24^th February – no service

Thursday 23^rd Feb – 5164 - Filming at Bridgnorth

Engines available for use:

5164
42968
43106

Engines not available for use:

4566  Mechanical repairs to horn block bolts.
2857  Mechanical repairs to rear cylinder covers.
7812  Repairs to brake system

The following locomotives are operational except where otherwise stated.
Please see weekly 'Locomotives in Use' item for further details.

2857 - GWR Churchward class 2800 2-8-0
4566 - GWR 4500 class 'Small' Prairie Tank
5164 - GWR 5101 class 'large' Prairie Tank
7812 - GWR Collett 'Erlestoke Manor'
42968 - LMS Stanier Mogul
43106 - LMS-design Ivatt Class 4

The locomotives listed below are not currently in service but may be seen at The Engine House, our Visitor Centre at Highley.

600 - War Department 2-10-0 'Gordon', Ex British Army.
4930 - GWR Collett 'Hagley Hall'
7325 - GWR Collett 4300 class mogul
7714 - GWR 5700 class 0-6-0 Pannier Tank - boiler replacement due at Bridgnorth.
46443 - LMS-design Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0.
47383 - LMS 3F 'Jinty' 0-6-0 tank
48773 - LMS Stanier 8F 2-8-0
80079 - BR Standard 4 2-6-4 Tank
No.2 "Prince" - 0-4-0 Saddle Tank, built 1863; returned to Ffestiniog Railway 24 Jan 2012
686 - Hunslet 'The Lady Armaghdale'. [temporarily away from EH] To be displayed at NEC Mar 2012: http://www.bestofbritainandirelandevent.co.uk/

These locomotives are normally resident on the Severn Valley Railway but are not currently in working order:

813 - Port Talbot Railway 0-6-0 saddle tank - overhaul progressing at Bridgnorth.
1501 - GWR 1500 class 0-6-0 Pannier Tank - at Bridgnorth for major overhaul.
2047 - Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST 'Warwickshire' - At Bridgnorth for assessment.
4150 - GWR 5101 class Large Prairie - Restoration in progress at Bewdley.
5764 - GWR 5700 class 0-6-0 Pannier Tank. To go away for display in 2012.
6634 - GWR 5600 class 0-6-2T - Restoration underway at Bridgnorth.
7802 - GWR Collett 'Bradley Manor' - boiler-less loco at Tyseley for overhaul before return to SVR.
7819 - GWR Collett 'Hinton Manor' - On display at the Designer Outlet ShoppingCentre, Swindon.
34027 - SR Bulleid West Country, 'Taw Valley' - Major overhaul at an advanced stage at Bridgnorth.
45110 - LMS Black Five, On loan to Barrow Hill pending restoration. [tender ran with 42968 in 2011; now at Bridgnorth]
75069 - BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0, overhaul deferred. Stored at Bridgnorth.

The following diesel locomotives are currently resident on the SVR:

Ruston & Hornsby Class 165DM/DE
281269 [carries D2960 "SilverSpoon"] - operational
319290 [carries D2957] - operational
418596 [carries D2961] undergoing overhaul at Kidderminster; moved under own power late 2011, but still more to do!

Class 08
D3022 - at Kidderminster- operational [Feb 2012]
D3201 - at Kidderminster - moved under its own power [Oct 2011]
D3586 - Bridgnorth-based. Engine overhaul Jan 2012.
D3802 - In store at Kidderminster
08896 - In store at Kidderminster for parts retrieval

Class 11
12099 - at Kidderminster out of service for repair. [Feb 2012]

Class 20
D8188 - operational
D8059 - operational
20177 - In store at Kidder for parts retrieval

Class 27
D5410 - in store at Kidderminster

Class 35
D7029 - undergoing overhaul at Kidderminster

Class 37
37906 - at Kidderminster.  Drained down for radiator repair Oct 2011.

Class 42
D821 - Greyhound - at Kidderminster; drained after test run 23/10/11.

Class 50
50031 - 'Hood'  at Kidderminster;drained [Oct 2011].
50035 - 'Ark Royal': moved by road from ELR to Cardiff Canton 12/7/11 for lifting and repairs following wheelset and traction motor problems at the ELR Diesel Gala.
50044 - 'Exeter' Operational, ran "The Edinburgh Explorer II" on 19Nov 11
50049 - 'Defiance' Operational, ran "The Edinburgh Explorer II" on 19Nov 11

Class 52
D1013 - 'Western Ranger' - undergoing overhaul at Bridgnorth
D1062 - 'Western Courier' - winterised at Bridgnorth

Class 108 DMU
51941 - Operational
50933 - Operational
54064 - Operational
56208 - Operational
59250 - Operational

Reminder!!!!!

March 31st, April 1st & April 14th & 15th

As you would expect, our website is updated on a regular basis. Sometimes new sections are added or items moved. Wording is also sometimes changed. This news item, as a regular feature, is your new way of keeping up-to-date with the changes that we make.

We list below the most recent changes:

January 25th - Useful downloads - Education Programme 2012 added

January 25th - Education pages - amendments and additions

January 12th - Useful Downloads - Dining Brochure/Schools Booking Form

January 12th - The Engine House - amended and updated

January 11th - Education pages - amended and updated

January 6th - Useful downloads - Footplate Experience 2012 added

January 4th - Timetable page - timing changes timetable A

Spot an Error?

A missing word, a typing error or even a spelling mistake. All these things can happen in any written document. Here at the Severn Valley Railway we want our website to be as accurate, up-to-date and useful as possible, but we accept that errors may occur.

If you spot an error here or you would like to suggest a change or an improvement, you now have the facility to do so. Just send your comment to:

website@svr.co.uk

Our webmaster will arrange for changes to be made and suggestions for improvements will be considered as soon as possible. Please remember, however, that there may be good reasons for not making certain changes or for a delay in implementing them.

So if we have said 'meat' instead of 'meet' or 'hear' instead of 'here' or perhaps even spelt Bridgnorth with an 'e', we would love to hear from you.

Your web browser

Your web browser is the piece of software that opens each time you join the internet. You will have heard of 'Internet Explorer', and it is quite likely that it is this browser that is installed on your computer. This is not the only one but it is the most popular.

No matter which web browser you decide to use, it is important that it is kept up-to-date. You will not be able to view the SVR and other modern websites properly if you are using an old version of your browser software. Old and outdated browser versions also have security issues.

Are you having problems seeing everything on the website?

If you are, and some images look like a grey rectangle with an X in the corner, it may be that you are using an out-of-date browser.

If you use Windows 7, the latest version of the four most popular browsers, Internet Explorer 9, Firefox 10, Google Chrome 17 and Safari 5, all show images correctly.

If you use Windows XP, the latest version of Internet Explorer available is version 8, which does have problems displaying some images; however you CAN use the latest version of Firefox, Chrome and Safari, and it would be a good idea to use one of these instead.

Where do I go to obtain updates for my browser?

Click on one of the following links and follow the on-screen instructions. This software is free.

Internet Explorer 9

Mozilla Firefox 10

Google Chrome 17

Safari 5

We strongly recommend that you always have up-to-date security software installed on your computer before downloading any files from the internet.

The Severn Valley Railway is grateful for the use of photographs and other pictorial material freely supplied by the following enthusiasts and photographers.

These pictures may appear here on our website or in various SVR publications.

We are also grateful to the many photographers who provide material from time to time and for which we have no record of ownership.

If you regularly take photographs of our trains and stations and would like your work considered for publication please contact our Visitor Services Department on the telephone number given below.

Please note: If you have supplied pictorial material that is not acknowledged here, please let us know on 01299 403816.