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The below is an incomplete page. '''Christmas services ''' are a huge part of the SVR’s SVR's services, accounting for approximately 35,000 of the 200,000 [[SVR Passenger numbers|tickets sold annually]]. By tradition, the SVR's services close at the end of the services after New Year's Day and therefore includes the immediate post-Christmas trains.

The first visit by Santa was in 1968. Tony Bending recalls it was a staged affair organised by Dillons store in Bridgnorth High Street who wanted a novel way for Santa to arrive. [[LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443|46443]] drew a single coach out to [[Cleobury Road Bridge]] before the event and later on, at the appropriate time, rolled it back in. Having arrived at [[Bridgnorth]] by train Santa then spent travelled by horse and cart, before spending the day seeing children in the High Street shop.<ref>[https://www.svr.co.uk/svr50years.aspx '50 Years of Steam at the Severn Valley Railway', SVR website] (Retrieved 22 May 2020)</ref> The exhibition '50 Years of Steam at the Severn Valley Railway' records the event on 24 November 1968, [[David Williams ]] records 46443 operating on 21 December 1968.<ref>Tony Bending, David Williams by email</ref>

The South Devon Railway relates that [[Kitson & Co 5474 'Carnarvon']] carried Santa in 1969.<ref>[http://www.southdevonrailwayassociation.org/Caernarfon.html South Devon Railway website]</ref> This was a similar event, there is picture by David Williams held on 20 December 1969; a photograph by C.R. Jenkins of Carnarvon shunting at Bridgnorth on that morning appears in David Williams' book ''Severn Valley Railway Album''.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Williams (1974)]] p. 23.</ref>

There is no record of either event in SVR News or ''Severn Valley Railway Memories''.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Magner (1997)]].</ref> Since As the public did not use the [[Severn Valley Railway Timeline 1970-1979#1970|Light Railway Order]] was only granted in 1970to meet Santa at his grotto at one of the SVR stations, they are neither event can be considered a static event and so not classed as a 'Santa service'.  ==SVR Santa services==

Although the SVR extended to Bewdley during 1974, there was no run round loop at Arley at the time. Accordingly the 1974 Santa services were again held between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade. The loop at Arley was commissioned in May 1975 and from that year on it became the norm for Santa services to run between the southern terminus (Bewdley and later Kidderminster) and a [[Santa's Grotto|grotto at Arley]]. In 1979 services reverted to the north end of the line due to the winter closure of [[Victoria Bridge]] for repairs.  On 20 December 1982 Santa arrived at Bewdley by helicopter, before travelling to [[Santa's Grotto|his grotto at Arley]] by train.<ref>SVR News 67</ref>

These services operate operated to Highley on a decorated steam train with Santa meeting every family on the train handing out gifts and posing for photographs. Operationally both are were top and tailed, the Bridgnorth-originating services with steam and the Kidderminster services steam and diesel.

A 'Steam in Lights' evening illuminated steam service operates from Bridgnorth. This does did not feature Santa.

Carol Trains, Christmas Carvery, Dining Trains, Schools steam services and post-Christmas services continuecontinued.

The Bridgnorth services are were the first in many years, making use of the facilities afforded by the [[Bridgnorth#Bridgnorth_Development_Project|Bridgnorth development project]].  The objective was to provide customers with a new experience and reduce the workload for volunteers. The result was a planned reduction inSanta Services numbers of 4,178, but with revenue increased by £121,324<ref name=SVR2019>SVR(H) annual report and financial statements for the period ended 5 January 2020</ref>. ==2020 and [[2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic|COVID-19 pandemic]]==The pandemic meant pre-booking Christmas events, using compartment stock for all services. Two sets were used for the Santa services and one for Steam in Lights. Santa trains were planned as steam-hauled departures from Kidderminster to Arley for a Santa Pantomime and presents distributed on the train to minimise face-to-face contact. For Steam in Lights evening return trips were planned from Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade, with a steam loco on the north end and diesel on the south end<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/blsep20 Branch Lines newsletter, September 2020] (Retrieved 29 August 2020)</ref>.

| 2019 ||style="text-align:right;" |''~32,000'' || Bridgnorth and Kidderminster to Highley || <ref name=SVR2019/> || A planned reduction in Santa Services numbers of 4,178.