Changes

The last scheduled passenger service over the Viaduct was the 19:20 DMU from Bewdley to Kidderminster on Saturday 3 January 1970, with passenger services between being formally withdrawn from 5 January 1970.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 164.</ref> When the SVR acquired the southern section of the line between [[Alveley Sidings]] and [[Foley Park]], the Viaduct remained in the section of the line still owned by BR. Following the SVR's reopening of Bewdley in 19841974, BR ran a number of summer weekend DMU specials between their Kidderminster station and Bewdley. One of these was photographed on the Viaduct on 11 September 1982 during the that year’s Enthusiasts Weekend.<ref>SVR News 66,67</ref> The last passengers to cross the Viaduct under BR ownership were on the “Severn Valley Enterprise” rail tour from Bewdley to Paddington and back on 8 October 1983.

In June 2017 the Trust secured £71,800 of HLF financial backing to develop a bid seeking £927,000 from the HLF for a large part of the quoted £1.324 million total project cost. The SVR met the challenge of raising matched funding of £397,000 (originally £275,000) for which the Trust co-ordinated effortsthrough a campaign entitled "'''Helping hands for Falling Sands'''". Preliminary structual structural investigations in Summer 2018 had revealed two gas mains, one live, which increased the cost and SVR's contribution.  The Trust submitted its bid on 26 October 2018 and on 25 March 2019 announced the award of a further £853,800 grant from The [[:Category:Lottery funding#National_Lottery_Heritage_Fund|National Lottery Heritage Fund]] which together with the earlier grant took the total amount of its funding to £925,600. The grant, along with other funds raised, will be used to restore Falling Sands Viaduct and to launch an exciting programme of community engagement and exhibitions that will explore the Railway’s early history. In August 2019 the Trust unveiled a large donation wall at [[The Engine House]] acknowledging the individuals, organisations and businesses who had donated to the "Helping Hands for Falling Sands" appeal. Repair work commenced in January 2020, to be fully completed by the autumn in two phases.<ref>[https://www.svr.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?a=875 SVR website]</ref>. The first stage necessitated closure of the railway between Bewdley and Kidderminster from the end of [[Christmas services]]: works were essentially complete at the interruption of works in March by [[2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic|coronavirus disease (COVID-19)]], although track was not joined and signalling not yet in place. While the railway remained closed Phase 2 from May 2020 involved replacing damaged brickwork and corbelling, and repointing throughout.<ref>[http://svrtrust.org.uk/our-projects/falling-sands-viaduct.html 'Falling Sands Viaduct', Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust website] (Retrieved 20 November 2018)</ref><ref>Shareholders' Newsletter, undated</ref><ref>SVR News 203, 204</ref><ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/epnovember18 Express Points November 2018]</ref>

The Trust submitted its bid on 26 October 2018 and on 25 March 2019 announced the award of a further £853,800 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund which together with the earlier grant took the total amount of its funding to £925,600. The grant, along with other funds raised, will be used to restore <gallery>File:Falling Sands Viaduct and to launch an exciting programme 2020 repairs 1.jpg | View of community engagement and exhibitions that will explore the Railway’s early history. Repair work will commence viaduct in January 2020 and will be fully completed by the autumn.<ref>[https://www.svr.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?a=875 SVR website]</ref> Previous announcements suggest the SVR would intend to undertake this urgent project in two stages, with the first stage to April 2020 necessitating closure of the railway between Bewdley and Kidderminster from the end of [[Christmas services]] until Easter. Subsequent works will involve replacing damaged brickwork and corbelling, and repointing throughout.<ref>[http://svrtrustinfill removed.org.uk/our-projects/falling-sands-viaduct.html 'Falling Sands Viaduct', Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust website] (Retrieved 20 November 2018)</ref><ref>Shareholders' Newsletter, undated</ref><ref>SVR News 203, 204</ref><ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/epnovember18 Express Points November 2018]</refgallery>

[https://www.svrlive.com/charitable-trust SVRLive page]<br>[https://www.fallingsandsviaduct.org.uk/ Falling Sands Viaduct website]