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*A 'two jab' vaccination programme started from 8 December 2020.<ref>[https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/12/landmark-moment-as-first-nhs-patient-receives-covid-19-vaccination/ NHS.gov.uk] (Retrieved 11 July 2021)</ref> By July 2021 over half the population had received the second jab and were deemed fully vaccinated.
*In February 2021 the government published proposals for the conditional lifting of restrictions in England in stages between March and June. The latter date was extended to 19 July, with some restrictions continuing until 26 August.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52530518 BBC News 10 July 2021]</ref> Concurrently the spread of the delta variant saw a 'third wave' of infections with numbers of infections rising exponentially from early May and peaking in mid-July.
*With numbers of continuing third wave infections, hospitalisations and deaths remaining stable but high, concerns over the Omicron variant led to the reimposition of mask wearing on public transport and in shops from November, just as [[Christmas services]] were starting.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59445124 'Covid: Face masks re-introduced as UK Omicron cases found', BBC News 27 November 2021]</ref> 'Plan B' restrictions followed from 10 December.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52530518 'What are the new measures for England?', BBC News, 9 December 2021]</ref> The Office for National Statistics said the economy was still 0.5% below pre-pandemic levels at the end of October<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59605111 'Economic growth stutters before impact of Omicron', BBC 10 December 2021]</ref>.
===Timeline of events on the SVR===
*February 2021: The railway announced it planned to restart its public services with regular excursion services from 12 April and other facilities opening when permitted, with previous COVID-19 safe measures continuing.
*In March 2021 the SVR's bid for a second Culture Recovery Grant failed.
*On 2 April 2021 Arts Council England awarded [[Kidderminster Railway Museum]] £19,025 through Government's Culture Recovery Fund<ref>[https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publication/culture-recovery-fund-data Arts Council England] (retrieved 2 April 2021)</ref>.
*2021 events restarted, but with restricted numbers and fixed bookable itineraries.
*On 15 August the SVR hosted its first observation saloon experience since before the beginning of the pandemic. Footplate Experiences restarted the following month.<ref name=blsep21>[https://www.svrlive.com/blsep21 Branch Lines, September 2021]</ref>
*Local 'hop on hop off' services were announced on 12 August, initially to restart midweek only in place of excursion trains from 7 September.<ref name=blaug21>[https://www.svrlive.com/blaug21 Branch Lines, August 2021]</ref> This soon changed with the announcement on 17 August that from 7 September all regular services and the Autumn Galas would revert to a more traditional operation, either with full-day freedom-of-the-line tickets or on journeys between selected stations with passengers able to choose their itineraries, rather than travelling on designated trains.
*In December 2021 the SVR announced that it had been awarded £1,012,900 as part of the latest round of the Culture Recovery Fund, paying for salaries and running costs for the period between 1 October 2021 and 31 January 2022<ref>[https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2021/12/culture-recovery-fund-severn-valley-railway-awarded-1-million-in-latest-round.html?mc_cid=c5ab8cec52&mc_eid=1655d51c43 Rail Advent]</ref>.
==Effects on the SVR==
With the intervention rate for furlough payments dropping from 1 August 2020 the SVR made up to 40 roles redundant among salaried and zero hours staff who were unable to return to their previous roles, and for whom the Railway was unable to find alternative employment.<ref name="blaug20"/>
In mitigation, it successfully applied to HSBC for a £1.5 million loan under the CBILS scheme, which alongside its existing overdraft facility would mean £2.5 million available. The SVR Charitable Trust won a [[:Category:Lottery funding|National Lottery Heritage Fund]] grant to support the reopening of the Railway.<ref name="blaug20">[https://www.svrlive.com/blaug20 Branch Lines, August 2020]</ref> Wyre Forest District Council awarded the Railway £50,000 under its discretionary business grant scheme. It received £555,484 in furlough payments during 2020 and > It was awarded £906,000 and £1,012,900 from the Culture Recovery Fund phase phases 1and 3 in 2020 and 2021 respectively.<ref name="report20"/><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-59690403 'Covid-19: Severn Valley Railway gets £1m recovery grant, BBC, 17 December 2021] (Retrieved 17 December 2021)</ref>
2020 [[SVR Passenger numbers|passenger numbers]] dropped significantly from 239,723 to 59.950. Sales income reduced by £5.25m and, even after donations and grants, it lost £460,559 in that financial year. Its debt was nearly £2,000,000.<ref name=report20>SVR(H) annual report and financial statements for the period ended 3 January 2021</ref>
The [[SVR Apprentices|SVR Junior Club]], local branch meetings and buffet and dining services were suspended through 2020 and 2021.
In 2021 its February half-term, Easter and services to early April were all lost, with later reopenings for its museums and pubs. It had restricted passenger numbers until 7 September. Its expected loss in 2021 was projected to exceed that of 2020, and it was applying for further Cultural Recovery Fund monies.<ref name=blsep21/> Repayment of the CBILS loan started in October 2021 at £28,000 per month<ref name="report20"/>. The financial position contributed to increases in shares thresholds for [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC#Benefits_from_2022|shareholder travel benefits]].
