SVR getting back on track

At the Severn Valley Railway, a massive repair operation was swinging into action on the Bewdley to Bridgnorth section.

Railway officials have held emergency meetings to draw up a strategy for the rest of the summer season.

A list for a programme of track repairs has been created after recent torrential downpours swept away 45 separate parts of the track. Nine parts have been seriously affected by the flooding. The deluge triggered landslides forcing tonnes of mud onto the track and flooding swept away the ground underneath.

Several tracks were left suspended in mid air.

Dozens of volunteers were today helping to clear the tracks and unblocking culverts. Staff from other heritage railways were also on hand.

Almost 3,000 turned out for last weekends 1940s event and a similar number is expected this weekend.

The railway's marketing manager John Leach said today: "We have 45 different areas where the railway needs maintenance. At nine of these areas the problems are described as serious but the other 36 largely involve the unblocking of culverts and making sure water drains away properly.

"At present we have concentrated operations between Kidderminster and Bewdley and had 2,700 people taking part in the first of two 1940s Weekends."

Meanwhile Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service was affected by water in Hylton Road, Worcester.

Workshops used for maintenance on fire engines were flooded as defence barriers were not erected alongside the River Severn.

Jenny Stratton, spokesman for the Environment Agency, said cloud bursts had made flooding "difficult to predict."