Severn Valley Railway Timeline 2026
This page provides a timeline of events on the Severn Valley Railway during 2026.
January 2026[edit | edit source]
The 2025 season ending Winter Steam Gala on 3-4 January featured locomotives from the home fleet; GWR 1450 with 2 autocoaches, 7802 Bradley Manor, 7714, 13268; 4930 Hagley Hall (Saturday) and 75069 (Sunday). Passenger numbers totalled almost 2,400.[1]
After the 2025 season ended, work restarted on the project to extend the platform at Kidderminster.
On 6 January, The Erlestoke Manor Fund announced that 7802 Bradley Manor would spend the summer at the West Somerset Railway, leaving at the end of April and returning in November in time for the Winter services. The SVR had kindly agreed to condense the year's agreed steaming days into the period before and after the loan. The locomotive would be joining 7812 Erlestoke Manor which was already on extended hire to the WSR.[2]
On 19 January 2026 the SVR Class 14 Company Limited annonced that they were becoming the new owner of BR Class 07 D2996 which would relocate to the SVR and be based at Bridgnorth.
February 2026[edit | edit source]
The Railway staged a 'Branchline Weekend' on Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1 March, marking 35 years since the arrival of the first DMU on the Severn Valley Railway in March 1991. Both the Class 101 DMU and Class 108 DMU three-car sets were in use, together with 7714 on the local set. Saturday saw GWR 1450 with two autocoaches and 7802 Bradley Manor, while Sunday saw 1450 with one autocoach and 75069. The timetable included 23 services stopping at Eardington, thought to be more than at any other time in its history.[3]
March 2026[edit | edit source]
The SVR received the Chairman's Special Award at the 2026 HRA Awards ceremony on 8 March, in recognition of the tremendous team effort by volunteers, staff and partnership organisations in reinstating the railway after the devastating Mor Brook bridge collapse. Three other entries were highly commended; Jack Baldwin in the Rising Star Award category for his work in engineering and for his project management and leadership skills working on the HydroShunter project, the unique restoration of GWR 9581 Wheelchair accessible Buffet Car in the Rolling Stock category, and the Boogie Lights Express in the Innovation of the Year category.[4]
On 12 March the Railway hosted emergency services teams at Kidderminster as part of 'Exercise Saber', a full-scale simulated emergency portraying a collision between a hydrogen train and a diesel train. The exercise involved Network Rail, West Mercia Police, British Transport Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service, Hereford & Worcester and Shropshire fire and rescue services, West Midland Trains as well as the SVR, with 200 volunteers playing passengers and other members of the public.[5]
April 2026[edit | edit source]
On 16 April 2026 the (SVR) announced that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had approved its application to convert Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) Plc into a charitable community benefit society (CCBS). The newly constituted organisation would be named Severn Valley Railway Society Limited.
The Spring Steam Gala on 16-19 April featured three guest locomotives:
- 71000 Duke of Gloucester : BR Riddles Standard 8P class Pacific
- LMS 11243: L&YR Aspinall 21 0F Pug (first visit to the SVR, also operated brake van rides from Bewdley to Kidderminter and Arley on the following weekend)
- Port of Par Judy : Bagnall 0-4-0ST (first visit to the SVR)
-
71000 Duke of Gloucester -
LMS 'Pug' 11243 -
Port of Par Judy
May 2026[edit | edit source]
The platform extension at Kidderminster was officially opened on 7 May.[6]
The Spring Diesel Festival on 14-17 May featured an assortment of guest locomotives along with members of the home fleet.
June 2026[edit | edit source]
On 1 June 2026 the first stage of the 'One Railway' project was completed with the conversion of the Public Limited Company SVR(H) into the Charitable Community Benefit Society (CCBS) Severn Valley Railway Society Limited.[7][note 1]
Also on 1 June, GWR Large Prairie 4150 became the final SVR-based locomotive to be steamed in preservation.
On 3 June the Charitable Trust launched a 'Raise the Roof' campaign to help secure £1,000,000 to build a heritage canopy along the newly-extended double platform at Kidderminster. (external link)
On 6 June the 82045 Fund AGM was followed by the 'AGM DMU Special' taking members and supporters from the AGM at Kidderminster to inspect the progress of New-build BR 3MT 82045 in Bridgnorth works.
-
82045 at Bridgnorth, 6 June 2026
On Tuesday 16 June, GWR Large Prairie 4150 moved under its own power for the first time in Bridgnorth yard. On Wednesday 17 June it made a light engine run to Highley and back, with a repeat run on Thursday 18 June.
On Friday 19 June the SVR staged a third SVR Supporters' Day. The following day saw the final SVR(H) AGM, which in future years would become SVRS AGMs.
The Railway decided to cancel all midweek services on 24-25 June due to weather warnings that the area around the SVR would be experiencing extreme heat over that period. The SVR's website noted that "Staff & Customer welfare is paramount along with protection of our infrastructure and it is felt the risk in the extreme heats forecast, is too high for us to do this. We apologise for any inconvenience caused." The first Step Back to the 1940s weekend went ahead on 27-28 June, although Saturday saw only two steam locos with 3 diesels in use due to the ongoing fire risk.
July 2026[edit | edit source]
On Wednesday 1 July, GWR Large Prairie 4150 reached Kidderminster for the first time with a test train. A special service timetable ws in use on the day, with Arley station closed for a private function.
Steam locomotives used[edit | edit source]
A table of steam locomotives used since 2020 and their mileages (where published) can be found on the Steam Locomotive Mileages page.
See also[edit | edit source]
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Notes[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Branch Lines, January 2026
- ↑ EMF press release, 6 January 2026
- ↑ SVR News item (retrieved 28 February 2026])
- ↑ SVR Website
- ↑ Heritage Railway, Issue 344, p. 40.
- ↑ SVR Website news item
- ↑ SVR Website, Historic day for the SVR as the Severn Valley Railway Society is formally launched