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[[File:Sterns_20180325.jpg|thumb|300px|right| The telegraph pole at Sterns (spring)]]'''Sterns''' is situated between [[Hampton Loade]] and [[Bridgnorth]] at the foot of [[Eardington Bank]], at approximately [[Gradient profile and mileages|milepost 147]]. It is at a place where the [[River Severn]] approaches close to the railwayat almost 90 degrees before turning away southwards towards Bewdley, and is notorious as a maintenance trouble spot due to the ground regularly slipping towards the river on numerous occasions over the history of the railway. During the last Ice Age, the valley of the River Severn was scoured out by glacial action and bands of different types of material were deposited at varying depths. This subsequently resulted in the formation of 'slip-planes' where the different layers can slide over each other, particularly when placed under a load such as the presence of a railway line and especially after periods of heavy rain. Slip-planes exist throughout most of the valley but have resulted in areas of majorinstability at [[Jackfield Halt|Jackfield]] and Sterns.<ref name=Sowden>[[Bibliography#Books|Sowden (2012)]] pp. 12-14.</ref> The line of telegraph poles adjacent to the railway at Sterns vividly illustrates this; one the ground movements that have taken place. One post which stood next to the track until shortly before 1979<ref>SVR News 52 p26</ref> has been carried a significant distance towards the river by ground movements slips since that time and is now only just visible in the trees towards the river. The post is mentioned in the Railway's [[From The Window]] booklet as one of the items to see during the journey and it carries a yellow flash to make it more visible.__TOC__<br clear="all"/>

SVR News and newsletters regularly refer to repair work at Sterns. Some examples are as follows:.===1976-77===*Over the winter of [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970-1979#1977 | 1976-77]], intense cold followed by heavy rain resulted in the line dropping 2ft 6" and moving 4ft nearer the river. Permanent way work in progress at [[Borle Viaduct]] was halted while repairs were carried out at Sterns. Remedial work enabled the line to re-open in March with trains passing Sterns at the slowest possible speed, repairs there being completed some three weeks later<ref>SVR News 43, 44</ref>.  ===1994-95===*In [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1990-1999#1995|1994-95]] ten feet of river bank was washed away, triggering further slippage. 3,000 tons of rock was deposited on the river bank as a temporary measureto protect the bottom of the embankment from further erosion and to 'toe-load' the slip area. A large ditch was also dug alongside the line on the uphill side<ref name=Sowden/>. *===2007===[[File:Sterns_20160514.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The cap of the 150 foot retaining wall alongside Sterns Cottage]]In the [[2007 Storm Damage|Summer 2007 storm damage]], the first severe thunderstorm did not affect Sterns, but . However further slips began in the following weeks as the wet weather continued. Part of , both at the area normally affected and further to the solution involved building a 150 foot long piled concrete retaining wall alongside north by Sterns Cottage, the house alongside the line on the side nearer the river.<gallery>Sterns_20160514.jpg| The cap Part of the solution involved building a 150 foot long piled concrete retaining wall alongside Sterns Cottage. This required 75 24-foot long vertical piles reinforced by 37 42-foot long angled soil-nails and covered by a concrete cap<ref name=Sowden/>.<br clear="all"/gallery>*===2014===[[File:Sterns_20140316.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Dip in the line seen from the DMU]]In mid-February 2014, evidence of emerged that further subsidence appeared with was taking place when a significant dip in the lineappeared at the north end of the Sterns area close to Sterns Cottage. Repair work A 'stop and proceed with caution' restriction was undertaken put in place until repairs could be completed over the following months.A large concrete sleeper wall was built at the toe of the slip and packed behind with approximately 150 tonnes of ballast. This was topped off with around 200 tonnes of graded stone in order to help to stabilise the slip and drain the water from the embankment. Full-time staff, with the help of [[Other rolling stock visiting the SVR|hired in plant]] completed the repairs to the line<ref>SVR Live April 2014</ref>.<gallerybr clear="all"/>Sterns_20140316===2020===[[File:Sterns_Drone.jpg|Dip in thumb|300px|right|Aerial view of the line repair works at Sterns in 2014 seen from the DMUsummer 2020]]</gallery> *Following [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 2020-2029#2020|extensive flooding in February 2020]] land movements were again observed. A comprehensive drainage network was proposed to collect rainwater and transport it to the river in an efficient manner before it could get down to the slip planes and exacerbate the problem.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/bljun20 Branch Lines, June 2020] (Retrieved 26 June 2020)</ref> Contractors Walsh Construction completed this water management work by 29 July as planned, with the final item being the lining of the existing drainage ditch with concrete canvas. The work was funded by £120,000 from the [[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd|SVR Charitable Trust]].<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/blaug20 Branch Lines, August 2020] (Retrieved 3 August 2020)</ref>.<br clear="all"/>

==Speed restrictions==The section of line through Sterns was for many years under a strict 5mph speed limit, with the drainage improvements and earthworks in 2013/14 finally allowing for the limit to be increased to 15mph (although further ground movement led to the reinstatement of a lower temporary speed limit soon after). A consequence of this speed restriction is that northbound trains are made to work harder as they are prevented from ‘taking 'taking a run’ run' at Eardington Bank.