SVR SHARES THE LOAD OF £2.5m BRIDGNORTH PLAN
Fundraising For one of the most ambitious projects in preservation has finally begun, following the launch of a £2.5million share issue to fund the severn Valley railway’s development of Bridgnorth station. Two-and-a-half million shares went on sale on November 1, priced at £1 each, and will be available for 12 months. The money will be used to improve the 16-mile railway’s northern terminus, a neo-Jacobean style station, built in 1862. As reported in SR458, the Bridgnorth Development Programme is in three distinct phases, and the first is expected to be completed by Easter. A new GWR-style single-storey building will become a refreshment room and toilets, with the shop relocated to allow the reinstatement of the original booking hall and waiting room. The Railwayman’s Arms pub will be enlarged. In Phase 2, attention will turn to installing the former Bristol (Bath Road) turntable in the locomotive yard, which will allow engines to be turned at the northern end of the SVR for the first time. Other plans in this phase include a 200-space car park and improved road access. The £2.5m share issue will fund these first two phases. The next (unfunded) project includes the construction of a new volunteer accommodation block, with workshop, stores and office for the MPD included. Bridgnorth Project Team leader David Postle says: “Preparatory works are already under way and we’re ready to give Bridgnorth the facilities it needs for the future, while making sure the station maintains its rightful place at the forefront of railway preservation. “We have started the work with our existing resources, but we will not be able to finish the project without more investors. “Over £270,000 has so far been spent, and a further £807,000 is allocated for future work from the 2012 share offer proceeds. “A new electricity supply is being installed at the moment, and the major groundworks will start in mid-November. By the end of January 2017, brickwork will start to appear, and we hope to finish the new building by around Easter 2017. Work on restoring the existing station building will continue into the summer.” SVR General Manager Nick Ralls said: “The £2.5m target is ambitious, but we understand the appetite for the Bridgnorth development is extremely strong among existing supporters. We expect this offer to appeal to new audiences too.” For full information about the share offer, visit: