Storm-devastated Severn Valley Railway is to open a further section of the line in time for the half-term holiday despite suffering a new blow when one of its bridges was damaged.
Staff and volunteers are working flat out to make sure trains can travel between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade on Saturday, February 9. Their efforts were hampered when they discovered a lorry had struck and dislodged the bridge over the B4363 Cleobury Mortimer road in Bridgnorth.
The railway has been left with a £10,000 repair bill because of the accident, which only came to light during checks by staff in preparation for next Saturday’s grand re-opening.
SVR Marketing Manager John Leach said: “It must have been an almighty bang for the entire bridge structure to be moved by as much as three inches.
“If we had been running trains as normal, I dare not think what might have happened.
“We have suffered more than enough setbacks since the railway was flooded last year. We really didn’t need this as well.”
The bridge will be lifted by heavy crane and correctly repositioned in the next few days.
SVR staff will then have to replace the track and reconnect all signalling, point rodding and telecommunication cables before Saturday. Railway spokesman David Wilcock said: “The railway is pulling out all the stops, hiring in heavy lifting equipment in order to complete repairs and run the scheduled nine days of passenger trains from Saturday, February 9th to Sunday February 17 as planned.
“The half-term holiday trains will be the first revenue-earning workings over the northern end of the line since it was devastated by floods last June.
In the ensuing eight months, the SVR has spent more than £3million rebuilding the line.
“Trains are due to start running again over the full 16 miles between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth from Good Friday, March 21st.”
The steam railway has only been able to run trains on a short section of the track between Kidderminster and Bewdley since floods caused damage in 45 places along the line.
For train times and further information contact 01299 403816.
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