Changes

The Severn Valley Railway opened in 1862, linking [[Shrewsbury]] in the North, via [[Bridgnorth]], to Hartlebury in the South. The present day SVR operates over the section from Bridgnorth to a point south of [[Bewdley]] station where the [[Stourport Branch]], the original route of the Severn Valley Railway, can be seen curving away to the right towards [[Stourport]] and [[Hartlebury]] as you travel towards [[Kidderminster]]. From there, the present day SVR continues to Kidderminster via the[[Kidderminster Loop Line| Loop Line]] opened in 1878. This page sets out a history of the line Severn Valley Railway, including the Loop, from planning to closure.

In 1878 the GWR added ‘The Loop’ linking Bewdley to Kidderminster, over which the present day Severn Valley Railway continues. ‘The Loop’ nearly didn’t happen; construction was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1868 which also included the nearby Stourbridge Town branch (part of which is still in use today). The GWR then sought leave to abandon ‘The Loop’ and build a line linking Bewdley to Stourbridge via Wolverley, Cookley and Kinver instead. Only when Parliament rejected this proposal did ‘The Loop’ go ahead. A more detailed history of the Loop's construction is given [[Kidderminster Loop Line | here]].