Trust gives £ 132,000 to two major Severn Valley projects
THE Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust has agreed a major funding boost totalling £ 132,000 for repairs to the serious landslip at Sterns and to complete the restoration of GWR large Hawksworth brake third coach No. 2242.
At Sterns, between Highley and Bridgnorth, the landslip would - if left unchecked - result in the closure of the line. Rainwater on adjacent land is ' lubricating' a slip plane below the railway. The trust will fund a £ 120,000 project that's already underway, which will stabilise the land by installing drainage to direct this water away from the line.
SVR's infrastructure manager Chris Bond said:" We are hugely grateful to the charitable trust. Without this project there would be a likelihood that we would have to cease passenger trains between Highley and Bridgnorth once the winter weather returns.
Viability
"That would have isolated the engineering hub at Bridgnorth from the rest of the railway, which in the current circumstances could have been catastrophic for the financial viability of the SVRT. he stabilisation of the area will maintain the required safety and permit full line journeys to be maintained'.'
The trust will also give £ 12,000 funding to bring forward the introduction of No. 2242 into traffic in 2021, ensuring that the railway's historic GWR coaching set includes a large brake vehicle in its formation which is needed to accommodate prams, bicycles and other large equipment.
The coach was bought by the Great Western ( Severn Valley Railway) Association from the estate of the late Dennis Howells. The association has already funded a mechanical overhaul in the railway's workshops and the trust's grant will see this important project to completion.
Generosity
The trust's director of development Shelagh Paterson said:" We are delighted to be able to fund these two projects, thanks to the generosity of our donors. One will ensure the continued safe operation of the railway, and the other will extend its accessibility to all members of the community:'
The SVR's Fight Back Fund emergency appeal has raised more than £ 800,000 and as reported last issue, it has received an emergency grant of £ 250,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.