Severn Valley Railway in the West Midlands has announced its programme of activities and events during the upcoming Easter holiday season.
The heritage railway has designed its programme to appeal to visitors young and no-so-young.
It will be open for heritage rail journeys every day from Saturday 23 March until Thursday 4 April, and extra events will take place on selected days during this period.
Easter weekend itself runs from Good Friday on 29 March until Easter Monday on 1 April.
Whats on at the Severn Valley Railway?
On the weekend of 23 and 24 March, there will be two separate events at two of the Railway's locations.
- At The Engine House at Highley, children's TV character Bluey will be the special guest, with a few tickets remaining for visitors to pre-book meeting the Australian Blue Heeler puppy. There will be other activities over the weekend, including magic shows, mini golf, interactive exhibits and an outdoor play area.
- Bridgnorth station will hosting a free mini gala, with railway- and steam-themed attractions including:
- a display of full-size and miniature traction engines
- Wolverhampton & District Model Engineering Society's ride-on miniature railway
- an O gauge model railway static display featuring Bridgnorth station and several SVR-based locomotives
- a replica of Richard Trevithick's 1808 locomotive ‘Catch Me Who Can'
- various historical photographic exhibitions
- short walks guided by an SVR archivist to uncover the history of Bridgnorth station (Saturday only).
- Activities run from 10am until 5pm on Saturday 23, and from 10am until 4pm on Sunday 24.
Throughout the Easter season week, the SVR will run an Easter quiz for young visitors, challenging them to crack clues, solve puzzles and spot items as they travel along the line.
Visitors can collect a free trail sheet from the booking office, and will receive a prize when they complete it.
At Highley station, which is at the mid-point of the sixteen-mile line, visitors to the Engine House will have the opportunity to experience life on the footplate, find how a steam engine works and learn about the Britain's railway past.
Tickets are now available, with Freedom-of-the-Line family tickets starting at fifty pounds, and short journey family tickets starting at thirty-five pounds. More information, timetables and details of activities are available here.
The Severn Valley Railway, which celebrates its sixtieth anniversary next year, welcomes up to a quarter of a million visitors per year, making it one of the UK's most popular historical attractions.
Last month, it scooped a hat-trick of gongs at the Heritage Railway Association awards. It is a full-size, standard-gauge railway, which runs regular steam- and diesel-hauled passenger trains along a between Kidderminster in Worcestershire and Bridgnorth in Shropshire, and is run largely by volunteers.
It has six stations and the Engine House Visitor Centre at Highley, which has interactive exhibits including steam locomotives, a royal carriage and a ‘how the SVR works' exhibition, as well as a shop and café.
“Spring is definitely in the air, and the SVR's line is the ideal place to spend quality time with family and friends this Easter.
“We've made sure there's plenty on offer to keep everyone amused, and a great day out is guaranteed. Our volunteers have been putting the final touches to our beautifully kept stations, and polishing the fleet of steam and heritage diesel locomotives that will whisk you away into the Worcestershire and Shropshire countryside. What's not to love?”
SVR visitor engagement manager Lewis Maddox
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