The Severn Valley Railway in preservation
(Redirected from One Railway project)
History[edit | edit source]
Opening dates[edit | edit source]
Services on the SVR began progressively as follows:
- May 1970: Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade. This section had been closed by BR in 1963.
- May 1974: Hampton Loade to Bewdley (services as far as Highley began a month earlier). The SVR also acquired the line between Bewdley and Foley Park, although this was only used on special occasions such as 'Enthusiasts Events'. BR’s use of Bewdley Station and the Foley Park connection had ended in 1970 when onward services from Bewdley ceased.
- July 1984: Bewdley to Kidderminster. Use of the last portion under BR ownership for commercial traffic from Foley Park to Kidderminster had ended in 1982. BR would continue to use the existing station at Kidderminster as part of the Birmingham Snow Hill to Worcester line. As it was not feasible to share this station, the SVR built their own adjacent station, Kidderminster Town.
Other notable events[edit | edit source]
- 1965: Formation of the Severn Valley Railway Society.
- 1967: Arrival of the first locomotives and carriages at Bridgnorth. Formation of the Guarantee Company
- 1968: Public Inquiry into the granting of the Light Railway Order.
- 1972: Floatation of SVR(H)
- 1973: The ‘ Nabarro crisis’
- 1978: First SVR-based steam locomotive to haul a main line rail tour
- 1982: Last use of Eardington as a request stop
- 1983: Completion of Bridgnorth Bypass Bridge, Bridgnorth embankment collapse
- 1985: City of Truro ‘April Fool’
- 1986: Bewdley Bypass Bridge completed
- 1987: Kidderminster Signal Box commissioned
- 1990: Bridgnorth Boiler Shop opened, Kidderminster Railway Museum opened
- 1993: First overnight running at an Autumn Steam Gala
- 1996: Country Park Halt opened
- 2000: Locomotive fleet ravaged by the ‘boiler crisis’
- 2003: Kidderminster Carriage Shed built
- 2006: Kidderminster station building East wing and canopy completed
- 2007: Last SVR-based steam locomotive to haul a main line rail tour
- 2007: The railway suffered massive storm damage
- 2008: Opening of The Engine House
- 2010: 40th Anniversary of operations on the SVR
- 2015: 50th Anniversary of the SVR in preservation
- 2016: Diesel Depot built
- 2018: Bridgnorth Development Project phase 1 opened
- 2025: 60th Anniversary of the SVR in preservation
- 2026: Conversion of the Railway to a Charitable Community Benefit Society (CCBS)
Timeline[edit | edit source]
Follow the links below to see a history of the SVR in preservation by year.
| Severn Valley Railway timeline since 1965 | |
|---|---|
| 1965-1969 | 1965 * 1966 * 1967 * 1968 * 1969 |
| 1970-1979 | 1970 * 1971 * 1972 * 1973 * 1974 * 1975 * 1976 * 1977 * 1978 * 1979 |
| 1980-1989 | 1980 * 1981 * 1982 * 1983 * 1984 * 1985 * 1986 * 1987 * 1988 * 1989 |
| 1990-1999 | 1990 * 1991 * 1992 * 1993 * 1994 * 1995 * 1996 * 1997 * 1998 * 1999 |
| 2000-2009 | 2000 * 2001 * 2002 * 2003 * 2004 * 2005 * 2006 * 2007 * 2008 * 2009 |
| 2010-2019 | 2010 * 2011 * 2012 * 2013 * 2014 * 2015 * 2016 * 2017 * 2018 * 2019 |
| 2020-2029 | 2020 * 2021 * 2022 * 2023 * 2024 * 2025 * 2026 * |
Organisation[edit | edit source]
- Main article: The Severn Valley Railway organisation in preservation
Current organisation[edit | edit source]
As of August 2026[update] the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) organisation comprises:[1]
- Severn Valley Railway Society Limited ("SVRS"), a newly-constituted company which became the SVR's parent organisation on 1 June 2026. It is a Charitable Community Benefit Society (CCBS) which operates the Railway and owns its infrastructure.
- Severn Valley Railway Enterprises Limited is a newly-constituted wholly owned trading subsidiary of SVRS.
- Severn Valley Railway Company Limited, commonly referred to as "the Guarantee Company", is the SVR's membership arm and provides the volunteers who help to operate the railway. The SVR has around 10,000 members, who are automatically members of this company (all of the around 1,700 volunteers must be members). Amalgamation of the Guarantee company into SVRS is expected to be completed later in 2026.[2]
- Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd, "the Charitable Trust", raises funds to support the SVR. The objectives are to raise funds for the long-term preservation of rolling stock belonging to the trust and station buildings, track and other associated infrastructure. It also includes the education for the benefit of the public and provision of education and skills training.[3]
Head Office[edit | edit source]
The Severn Valley Railway's Head Office is at 1 Comberton Place, Kidderminster, DY10 1QR.
Senior officials[edit | edit source]
- Chairman: Charlie Wright 2026-
- Chief Executive Officer: Jonathan Dunster (2026- )
- Patron: HRH The Duke of Gloucester, KG, GCVO, GCStJ 1997-
- President: The position of President has not been occupied since 1989, although a number of retired Chairmen and other long-serving officials have been given the honorary position of Vice-President. As of 2026[update] there are 11 current Vice-Presidents.[4]
The Guarantee Company
- Chairman: Diane Malyon 2020-
- General Manager: Jonathan Dunster (2026- )
SVR Charitable Trust
- Chairman: Judith Meredith 2024-
Departmental structure[edit | edit source]
Internally the SVR is organised into a number of departments. Department Heads and other senior manager roles as of June 2026[update] are as follows:[5]
- Head of Infrastructure
- Head of Operations
- Head of Traction and Rolling Stock Engineering
- Head of Steam Engineering
- Head of Communications
- Visitor Engagement Manager
- Visitor Experience Manager
- HR Manager
- Health and Safety Manager(s)
See also[edit | edit source]
- The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership
- The Severn Valley Railway on the main line
- SVR Passenger numbers
- SVR timetables