This morning, RailAdvent were invited to Bewdley on the Severn Valley Railway to see the launch of The Bewdley Express.

The Bewdley Express is part of a trial that the Severn Valley Railway is working on with West Midlands Railway to see if there is demand for a train service to/from Birmingham direct to Bewdley.

Currently, trains run to Kidderminster only, but plans are in place that would see trains swap onto SVR metals and head up to Bewdley.

The first train departed Bewdley right on time at 06:40 am to connect passengers with the mainline at Kidderminster.

This trial will see two services from Bewdley in the morning (running at 06:40 am – getting passengers into Birmingham Snow Hill at 07:46 and 07:40 am – with passengers arriving into Birmingham at 08:46).

Two services will run in the evening, arriving into Bewdley at 5:57 pm and 7:02 pm.

It was a wonderful morning, with us being able to ride the first service. The run was rising as we left Bewdley with people on board heading to work.

Speaking of work, Sarah Graham, who works at the Birmingham Women’s Hospital, said that whilst she uses her car for her daily commute, she would much prefer to use public transport – so the trial is brilliant news for her.

The Bewdley Express is the first of its kind in the UK, with passengers on normal mainline tickets travelling on part of a heritage railway.

Tickets for The Bewdley Express can be purchased from Bewdley station on the morning, with online tickets being made possible soon.

Fares are as low as £16 for a return trip between Bewdley and Birmingham, with return tickets between Bewdley and Kidderminster costing £3.60 and a single costing just £2.

If sufficient demand is seen in the eight-week trial, then this could help build a case to extend train services to Bewdley.

The trial runs for 8 weeks from today (1st September), with The Bewdley Express running on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

“To see the first Bewdley Express leave Bewdley this morning, with people using it to begin their working day, is a fantastic moment after months of planning and preparation.

“This service could make a real difference to people living in Bewdley and the surrounding area, giving them another option for getting to work in Birmingham and elsewhere without having to rely on the car. It also opens up wider opportunities for education, business and leisure.

“But this is a trial, and we need people to use it. The level of demand we demonstrate over the next eight weeks will be hugely important in determining whether there is a case for making services like this a permanent fixture. So, my message is simple: if this service could work for you, please give it a try, tell your friends and make use of it. The more people who use the Bewdley Express, the stronger the evidence will be for its future.”

SVR’s chief executive officer Gus Dunster

A big thank you to the Severn Valley Railway for inviting us on board the first service this morning.