Christmas services
The below is an incomplete page.
Christmas services are a huge part of the SVR’s services, accounting for approximately 35,000 of the 200,000 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.
Services are a volunteer lead project under a Santa committee, headed by Dianne Malyon. It is almost a twelve-month project: presents are ordered in March, and bands and choirs by May.[1]
Contents
Early years
The South Devon Railway relates that Kitson & Co 5474 'Carnarvon' carried Santa in 1969. [2] There is no record of the event in either SVR News or Severn Valley Railway Memories.[3] Since the Light Railway Order was only granted in 1970, it could presumably only have been a static event at Bridgnorth, and so it would not have been classed as a 'Santa service'.
On 23 and 24 December 1973 'Santa Claus' specials ran with three coaches between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade, hauled by 'Austerity' 0-6-0ST WD 193. The weekend marked the SVR's first Santa services.[4]
On 20 December 1982 Santa arrived at Bewdley by helicopter, before travelling to his grotto at Arley by train.[5]
On 8 December 1990 the worst snowstorm for a decade affected the weekend's Santa services; only a small proportion of the 9,000 ticket holders were able to attend.[6]
The 2007 Storm Damage resulted in services being restricted to Kidderminster to Bewdley, where Santa was ensconced.
On 10 December 2017 all Santa Special services were cancelled in light of heavy snow overnight and complete loss of power at Arley Station.
Hired in locomotives
The SVR normally operates services using a working fleet drawn from its own steam locomotives. On several occasions it has been necessary to hire in locomotives from other railways to alleviate pressure on the fleet over the busy Christmas period.
Recent operation to 2018
The mainstay operation was the Santa Special operation. This operated half hourly all day, typically weekends from late November/early December until Christmas Eve. This necessitated a five-train operation, all steam hauled, with a sixth locomotive providing train pre-heating and acting as standby. The trains operated between Kidderminster and Santa's Grotto at Arley, with trains picking up and setting down at Bewdley on the return leg only. In addition the Class 108 DMU ran staff trains, and a late afternoon service for late-returning passengers.
Setting up took place at the beginning of October, with clearing away taking place before year end. A typical day's operation needed around 100 volunteers, excluding crew and signalmen. There were 96 Santa turns for the Santa Specials.
On 23 November 2018 the SVR made a 'Black Friday' discount offer of unsold Santa Special tickets.
A secondary operation was ‘Santa Heralds’, with Santa travelling on the train to distribute presents. These are typically steam-operated midweek services.
Carol Trains are an evening DMU service, running from Kidderminster to The Engine House. Christmas Carvery DMU services also run to The Engine House where a meal is provided. Dining Trains also operate. Schools steam services run in midweek.
Post-Christmas services normally begin on Boxing Day and run daily until at least New Years Day.
Stations and platforms at Kidderminster, Bewdley and Arley are decorated. At both Kidderminster and Arley live seasonal music is provided by local groups. Carriages are not usually decorated, locomotives may carry headboards, wreaths or other decoration.
It was also an important part of activities for other groups. SVR Apprentices dress in animal character costumes to entertain the waiting youngsters at Arley. Several preservation groups roast and sell chestnuts.
2019 operations
In June 2019 the SVR announced a refresh of Santa Specials, no longer featuring a Grotto but instead including:
- Santa Specials from Kidderminster
- Premium Santa Specials from both Kidderminster and Bridgnorth.
These services operate 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 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 not feature Santa.
Carol Trains, Christmas Carvery, Dining Trains, Schools steam services and post-Christmas services continue.
The Bridgnorth services are the first in many years, making use of the facilities afforded by the Bridgnorth development project.
Passenger numbers
Reported total passenger numbers for Christmas services are given below. In some cases these are approximations. Where totals only include Santa trains and exclude post-Christmas services, numbers are in italics.
| Year | No of passengers | Location | Reference | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade. | 1 weekend of Santa trains | |||
| 1974 | Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade. | ||||
| 1975 | Bewdley to Arley | 2 weekends of Santa trains. | |||
| 1976 | Bewdley to Arley | 3 weekends of Santa trains. | |||
| 1977 | Bewdley to Arley | 4 weekends of Santa trains. | |||
| 1978 | 10,882 | Bewdley to Arley | SVR News 50 | Total for Santa trains only, a 46% increase on 1977. | |
| 1979 | Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade | Repairs to Victoria Bridge. | |||
| 1980 | 19,515 | Bewdley to Arley | SVR News 59/63 | Santa trains 17,872 | |
| 1981 | 16,378 | Bewdley to Arley | SVR News 63 | All Santa services ran but numbers were affected by snow. | |
| 1982 | 22,005 | Bewdley to Arley | SVR News 67 | ||
| 1983 | 33,634 | Bewdley to Arley | SVR News 71 | Santa trains 31,450, Mince pie specials 2,184 | |
| 1984 | 34,628 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 75 | Santa trains 33,326, Mince pie specials 1,302 | |
| 1985 | 30,975 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 79 | Santa trains 28,978, Mince pie specials 1,997 | |
| 1986 | 37,369 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 83 | Santa trains 34,753, Mince pie specials 2,616. | |
| 1987 | 31,889 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 87 | Santa trains 29,634, Mince pie specials 2,255. | |
| 1988 | 41,496 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 91 | Santa trains 38,039, Mince pie specials 3,457. | |
| 1989 | 47,259 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 95 | Santa trains 42,602, Mince pie specials 4,657. | |
| 1990 | 40,935 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 98 | Adverse weather in early December. | |
| 1991 | 42,535 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 102 | ||
| 1992 | 48,004 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 106/109 | Santa trains 42,660, Mince pie specials 5,344.[7] | |
| 1993 | 48,485 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 109 | Santa trains 41,501, Mince pie specials 6,984. | |
| 1994 | Kidderminster to Arley | Not reported in SVR News. | |||
| 1995 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 117 | Predicted Santa trains 32,000; final number not reported. | ||
| 1996 | Kidderminster to Arley | Not reported in SVR News. | |||
| 1997 | >33,000 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 125 | ||
| 1998 | >39,258 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 129 | December 38,258, plus >1k on New Years Day | |
| 1999 | 37,876 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 132 | ||
| 2000 | >33,000 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 135 | 33,000 weekend Santas, other midweek services not reported. | |
| 2001 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 139 | Santa trains not reported; 5,100 after Christmas. | ||
| 2002 | Kidderminster to Arley | Not reported in SVR News. | |||
| 2003 | Kidderminster to Arley | Not reported in SVR News. | |||
| 2004 | ~43,500 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 149 | Santas 35.5k, Diners 1k, Other 7k (approx) | |
| 2005 | ~43,200 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 152 | Santas and other 42k, Diners 1.2k (approx) | |
| 2006 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 156 | Not reported (Santas were 5k more than budget) | ||
| 2007 | Kidderminster to Bewdley | 2007 Storm Damage. Numbers not reported. | |||
| 2008 | ~29,000 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 164 | ||
| 2009 | Kidderminster to Arley | Not reported in SVR News. | |||
| 2010 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 172 | 26,529 advance tickets sold, final number not reported | ||
| 2011 | 30,369 | Kidderminster to Arley | Pete Cherry | Not reported in SVR News. Number of advance tickets sold for Santa Special, Herald and Sleigh services. Final number not reported | |
| 2012 | 47,038 | Kidderminster to Arley | SVR News 181 | ||
| 2013 | 33,205 | Kidderminster to Arley | Pete Cherry | Not reported in SVR News. Number of advance tickets sold for Santa Special, Herald and Sleigh services. Final number not reported | |
| 2014 | 32,213 | Kidderminster to Arley | Pete Cherry | Not reported in SVR News. Number of advance tickets sold for Santa Special, Herald and Sleigh services. Final number not reported | |
| 2015 | 33,319 | Kidderminster to Arley | [8] | ||
| 2016 | 33,364 | Kidderminster to Arley | [8] | ||
| 2017 | 31,962 | Kidderminster to Arley | [8] | One day lost due to weather. | |
| 2018 | 36,104 | Kidderminster to Arley | [8] | ||
| 2019 | ' | Bridgnorth and Kidderminster to Highley |