Royal visit boosts SVR

The Royal visit to the Severn Valley Railway is expected to be a huge boost to tourism in the region as it came just before the start of the summer season, bosses said today.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall travelled on the line from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth – attracting thousands at stations along the way yesterday.

It was a welcome tonic for a railway hit by floods which caused most of it to be closed from last summer until this Easter.

A diesel car which runs summer trains was also burnt out in a fire last month costing thousands.

John Leach, railway marketing manager, said a lot of businesses including hotels and bars, were hit hard by the railway's closure and the visit would be a big boost.

He said: "We are certainly optimistic that the visit will put the railway in people's minds. They came at a good time in the year before the summer really starts so it is bound to be a big help.

"We can't predict how much it will affect passengers as some of that is related to the weather. A lot of people who visited the railway today all mentioned the visit.

"It should go some way to helping the tourism industry which was hit by the floods. Some bars and hotels near the railway stations along the line suffered a drop in bookings."

People will get the chance to be pulled by King Edward I, the locomotive that pulled the Royal train, this weekend as well as stand-by engine Princess Elizabeth.

Prince Charles and Camilla arrived in Worcester on the Royal train and went by car to Kidderminster. They also visited Upton-on-Severn, also hit by flooding.

The Severn Valley Railway welcomed back thousands of passengers during the Easter Bank Holiday in March when the 16 mile line fully re-opened after nine months of repair work. Staff and volunteers estimate they had between 1,800 and 2,000 visitors each day over Easter.