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[[File:SVR News 158.jpg |thumb|200px|right| How SVR News reported the flood damage]]
A freak thunderstorm hit the Severn Valley Railway on the evening of Tuesday 19 June 2007, causing massive damage to the Railway’s infrastructure. Embankments collapsed, cuttings were filled with debris, and much other destruction took place.
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An inspection of the line on Wednesday 20th June confirmed that only the section between Bewdley and Kidderminster was relatively unaffected and could remain open for passenger traffic. By Thursday 21st June the full implications for the Railway were understood and development of a recovery plan was under way. This would involve properly considered engineering solutions, not only to resolve the problems but hopefully to prevent them recurring.
A description of some of the repair work undertaken by the SVR's Signal & Telecommunications Department is contained in this article from SVR News reproduced on their informal web site. ( [http://www.svrsig.org.uk/svr/Iss161.htm Link] )
==Reopening==
The section of the line between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade reopened for passenger services on Saturday 9 February 2008 to coincide with the half-term holiday. [[Diesel Locomotives hired by the SVR|Electro-diesel E6006]] was the first locomotive to work the entire line between Bridgnorth and Bewdley on 10 March 2008, hauling an engineers’ train with permanent way materials and also bringing [[47383|Jinty 47373]] to the southern end of the line to be turned ahead of its planned move into [[The Engine House]] later in the year. A special reopening train hauled by newly-overhauled [[7812|7812 Erlestoke Manor]] worked a return trip between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth on 20 March, with passenger services restarting on the following day.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Sowden (2012)]] pp.44-45.</ref>
The SVR's success in recovering from the storm damage was marked by a number of [[Awards|awards]], including the Transport Trust's 'Preservationist of the Year', the Ian Allen Publishing 'Heritage Railway of the Year' and the Heart of England Tourist Board 'Best Tourism Experience of the Year'.
