The Severn Valley has been shortlisted for the Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards 2026.

They have been shortlisted in not one, not two, but three categories. They are finalist for The Rolling Stock Award for their restoration of Great Western Railway coach No 9581, Innovation of the Year Award for their Boogie Lights Express train, and the Rising Star Award for project leader Jack Baldwin and the HydroShunter project.

The judges have been selecting finalists from 110 entries.

The winners will be announced in March 2026 at a ceremony in Llandudno.

“We are thrilled to have been shortlisting in three categories of the 2025 HRA awards. It’s a tremendous honour and genuinely feels like an early Christmas present for everyone involved with the railway. To be recognised across such varied categories shows how highly the SVR is regards within the heritage railway sector, and we couldn’t be proud of the dedicated teams and individuals who’ve earned their places as finalists.”

SVR’s managing director Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster