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In JuneOn Monday 30 May 1853, a meeting at Kidderminster chaired by the Mayor strongly supported moving the connection with the OWW from Hartlebury to Kidderminster. However this <ref>Worcester Journal, 2 June 1853, via the British Newspaper Archive</ref> The proposal was opposed by advertised in the local press, following which a subsequent meeting took place at Stourport on Tuesday 14 June to express opposition to the move. SVR Chairman Jonathan Thorp attended the latter meeting and confirmed that "...''the suggestion was not taken uppromoters of the Severn Valley Railway never had any intention of making any deviation''."<ref name=JM25>Worcester Journal, 16 June 1853, via the British Newspaper Archive</ref>
→1852: edit link
At a second meeting on 6 September a decision was taken to hold public meetings at Ironbridge, Bewdley and Bridgnorth to gauge support. These were arranged for 7, 8 and 9 October. A notice of the meetings in the Worcestershire Chronicle and Provincial Railway Gazette expressed hope that the new Severn Valley Railway "...''stands on a more secure foundation than the last of that name, projected in 1847, the bills for advertising which are we believe unpaid to this day and likely to remain so''."<ref name=Marshall20/>
The public meetings were in favour of extending the line to Shrewsbury rather than Madeley and on 13 October 1852 the Board resolved to do so. The new route would mean passing close to Apley Hall, which led Whitmore to oppose the revised plan and instead support a rival and ultimately unsuccessful proposal, the [[The Unsuccessful proposals for railways in the Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership#Unsuccessful proposals|Shrewsbury, Ironbridge and Bridgnorth Railway]]. The notice of intended application for an Act to incorporate the Severn Valley Railway Company and authorise the construction of the line was published on 2 November 1852<ref name=Marshall20/>.
==1853==
The SVR Bill was presented in Parliament on 11 February 1853. It initially met with opposition from the 'Shrewsbury companies' which caused some delay and additional expense. The Bill proposed terminating the line at a point in Shrewsbury from which a connection to one of the existing lines could be authorised by subsequent legislation.<ref name=JM25>Marshall (1998), pp. 25-27</ref>
After consideration in Committee, the Bill was passed in the House of Commons in July and presented to the House of Lords on 9 August. It received Royal Assent on 20 August 1853. The Act incorporated the Company and authorised it to raise £600,000 in shares and to borrow up to an additional £200,000. Powers were given to construct a railway from a junction with the OWW 5½ furlongs south of Hartlebury and terminating in Shrewsbury, with a branch from Benthall Edge to Madeley. Opposite Apley Hall, the line was to pass through tunnels approximately 680 yards in length.<ref name=Marshall28>Marshall (1989), p.28</ref> The original estimate for construction of the line was £600,000, being £110,000 for land plus £490,000 for works.<ref>[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17612/17612-h/17612-h.htm Handbook to the Severn Valley Railway, by J. Randall 1863]</ref>
On 15 April Peto addressed a similar meeting at Bewdley, where his speech was regularly met by cheers from those present.<ref>Bridgnorth Journal, 19 April 1856, via the British Newspaper Archive</ref> A meeting at Stourport on 6 May "...''gave general satisfaction, for strong expressions of support were given by most of the persons present''."<ref>Bridgnorth Journal, 10 May 1856, via the British Newspaper Archive</ref>
Another public meeting took place at Ironbridge on 1 July, at which Peto stated that nearly £70,000 had been raised of the £150,000 needed before work could start. The SVR Act of 21 July 1856 authorised the new deviations. At the end of July Fowler confirmed he had agreed the final route of the line through Apley to Thomas Whitmore’s satisfaction.<ref name=Marshall34>Marshall (1989), pp.34-3536.</ref>
Over the following months, fund raising continued and the process of obtaining a tender for construction began.
==1857==
On 10 July the Board resolved that a tender from the contractors Smith and Knight for construction of the line should be accepted, although no details of the tender are recorded. In response, [[Peto, Brassey and Betts# Involvement with the Severn Valley Railway |Morton Peto wrote to the Board on 28 July]] offering his resignation so he could tender for the Contract. His resignation was accepted.<ref name=Marshall34/>
Continued difficulties in raising the finance meant that two new Bills were drafted and put before Parliament, one to continue construction but with an extended deadline for completion and the other to abandon its construction. On Peto's advice, the decision on which should be adopted was deferred until the next half-yearly shareholders' meeting in February 1858.<ref name=Marshall34/>
Assuming that construction would go ahead, Peto in partnership with Brassey and Betts produced a tender for the contract with three costings (in each case prices included stations costing £22,500; the Contractors would accept £240,000 in shares as part of the consideration):<ref name=Marshall34/>
*a double track railway costing £469,740,
*all works built for double track but a single line of rails costing £389,690, and
*earthworks for two thirds of the line, and tunnels, for single line; underbridges (other than viaducts and bridges over streams) for single line with foundations for double line costing £363,690.
==1858-1861==
:''Main article: [[Construction of the Severn Valley Railway]]''
On 20 February 1858 the Board accepted the lowest cost option, subject to Shareholder approval which was granted at a special meeting on 26 February. The Abandonment Bill was therefore withdrawn, while the Bill to extend the time allowed for completion was enacted on 23 July 1858, setting a new deadline of 23 July 1861. Following the passing of that Act, construction began in early August. By that time the Company had reached agreement with the OW&W that the latter would run and maintain the new line for a period of 5 years following completion.
On 21 July 1859 two Acts of Parliament were passed relating to other nearby railways, both of which had received the support of the Company. The [[Wyre Forest Line|Tenbury Railway]] between Woofferton and Tenbury was seen as the first stage of a future link to Bewdley, while it was hoped that the Much Wenlock and Severn Junction Railway (which would join the SVR at [[Buildwas]]) would bring limestone traffic to the SVR.<ref>Marshall (1989), p.41.</ref>
On 5 April 1860 a meeting was held to consider two Bills before Parliament. One was for the [[Wyre Forest Line|Tenbury & Bewdley Railway]], to which the Company agreed to contribute £7,000. That Act was passed on 3 July 1860. The other enabled the OWW to take on the lease of the Severn Valley Railway. This was enacted by the SVR (Leasing) Act on 14 June 1860; two days later the West Midland Railway Act authorised the amalgamation of the OWW and other railways into the West Midland Railway Company.<ref name=Marshall44>Marshall (1989), pp.44-45.</ref>
The first mention of a [[Wolverhampton#Proposed Railways between Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth| proposed railway between Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth]] was made at a Board meeting on 20 June 1860.<ref name=Marshall44/> Although the Severn Valley Railway was still under construction at the time, the SVR and WMR also prepared the first plans for the [[Kidderminster Loop Line]] during 1860.
On 1 August 1861, the West Midland & Severn Valley Companies Act authorised the construction of the Kidderminster Loop Line and granted the Company powers to raise an additional £60,000 and borrow up to £20,000 to fund its construction. However the Tenbury line was still several years from opening, so no action had been taken by 1863 when responsibility for the Loop Line passed to the GWR<ref>Marshall (1989) p.58.</ref>.
==1862-1872==
Public services began on 1 February 1862, operated by the WMR. The West Midland and Severn Valley Railways Act of 29 July 1862 confirmed that the WM Company had to pay rent to the SVR shareholders half-yearly, preference shareholders receiving 4½ percent and ordinary shareholders 3percent rising to 4½ percent by 1868. The GWR was to purchase the SVR no later than 31 July 1871.
On 1 August 1863 the operations of the WMR were absorbed by the GWR, and from that time the Severn Valley Railway became known as the Severn Valley Branch of the GWR.<ref>Marshall (1989), p.52.</ref> Shareholders of the WMR and SVR retained vestiges of a separate identity until complete amalgamation was brought about by the Great Western Railway Act of 1872,<ref>Nabarro (1971), p.50.</ref> in the case of the SVR by exchange of Preference Shares in the Company for Consolidated Stock in the GWR<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Vanns (1998)]] p. 13.</ref>.
==See also==
*[[Severn Valley Railway Company Limited]] (1967 onwards)
*[[The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership]]
*[[Construction of the Severn Valley Railway]]
