The Severn Valley Railway has announced it will reintroduce overnight services at its Autumn Steam Gala, which takes place between 14^th and 17^th September. One train will operate multiple return trips along the 16-mile line on the Friday and Saturday nights of the event, offering a completely unique heritage railway experience to Gala attendees. The SVR is the only heritage railway in the UK that operates 24-hour running, and it’s confident there will be an enthusiastic take-up of the offer.

“Overnight running at steam galas has long been something the SVR is renowned for,” explained managing director Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster. “We paused it for a few years because of the pandemic, but now the time is right to bring it back.

“We’ve already had two extremely successful enthusiast events this year, and it’s clear that this sector of the market is buoyant. This gives us the confidence to reintroduce overnight running and we’re sure it’s going to appeal to many of our Gala passengers.

“Why is it so popular? Well, quite simply a night-time railway in operation has a unique atmosphere, both on board the train and in the stations. Steam locomotives in particular add something indefinable to the mix. You don’t often get the opportunity to see a heritage railway operating under cover of darkness, and we know this will be a huge draw.”

Travel on the overnight services will be included in the day ticket price, although passengers will need to have tickets for two consecutive days to cover their full overnight travel. The Autumn Steam Gala was originally planned as a three-day event, but the success of the spring event has led to the inclusion of an extra preview day on Thursday 14^th September, which will include at least three steam-hauled services.

“As to the line-up for the Gala,” added Gus, “We’re currently negotiating for three guest locomotives that we think are going to be magnets for the steam crowd, and we’ll be making announcements as soon as contracts are signed. We’re clearly demonstrating that the SVR is a railway that’s got enthusiasts’ interests at heart, and that our Autumn Steam Gala is going to deliver on all counts.”