Mark Garnier, MP for Wyre Forest welcomed a visit from representatives of the Severn Valley Railway in the House of Commons yesterday. Nick Ralls, Mick York, and Mike Balls arrived in Westminster to attend a reception for the Heritage Railway Association (HRA). Severn Valley Railway travels between Kidderminster and Bridgenorth in Shropshire, a distance of 16 miles. It is the largest heritage railway in the country and hosts up to 250,000 passengers a year.
The event was in recognition of Britain’s rich railway heritage and the excellent examples of the community involvement and volunteering required to maintain this. Representatives were present from all local heritage railways. Mark, who is a keen heritage railway enthusiast said:
“The Severn Valley Railway is one of Wyre Forest’s main tourist attractions and is a significant income generator for our district. The management team have pulled off an amazing feat, bringing the railway back from the brink of disaster a few years ago, after the floods, to where it is today as one of the county’s greatest tourist attractions. It was a pleasure for me to be able to welcome them all to Westminster.”
Theresa Villiers, Minster for Railways, spoke at the event during which she praised the important job the HRA does in preserving railways and stations across the country. Severn Valley received a special mention as the Minister’s first memory of a heritage railway from when she took a trip as a child on their line. She said that her passion for heritage rail was cemented at that moment and has remained strong ever since.
In the photo (l-r): Mark Garnier MP; Mike York (Chairman of Severn Valley Railway); Nick Ralls (General Manager SVR); Mike Balls (a Director of SVR); Phillip Dunne MP for Ludlow.