Severn Valley Railway: No date yet for landslip repair but nearly £120k donated to heritage line

And the cost of the repair is also yet to be finalised, although SVR has confirmed that nearly £120,000 has been donated to the heritage line since the landslip in January.

The landslip meant the immediate closure of the line between the SVR's northern terminus at Bridgnorth and the next station at Hampton Loade. 

SVR has said many site visits with potential contractors have taken place at Mor Brook bridge, near Hampton Loade, where the landslip occurred, and some of these visits have been by specialist sub-contractors, who are advising main contractors and weighing up possible remedies.

Head of infrastructure Chris Bond said: "We’ve received some preliminary information back now from potential contractors but are still awaiting further responses. Until we have all the information, we can’t give costs or timescales for the necessary repairs. 

"Additionally, there are considerable complexities with this project. These include securing access for large plant and equipment, dealing with statutory bodies such as the local council regarding the water course, and gaining safe access underneath the high-voltage cables on the site. 

"Whilst we very much want to be able to let people know how much this is going to cost and how long it’s going to take, we can’t confirm either of these things just yet.  

"Last week, we used a large excavator to remove some of the debris from Mor Brook. This has been done very carefully to ensure that the stability of the bank is not compromised, particularly as this would affect the access to nearby properties. 

"The good news is that our ongoing monitoring has not detected any further movement of the embankment, and the recent dry weather is helping to keep things in check. 

"South Shropshire MP Stuart Anderson visited the Railway recently. He has kindly offered to help in our dealings with statutory bodies, to minimise any delays in starting the works. 

"Interestingly, I attended the Heritage Railway Association spring conference recently where the subject of rainfall and climate change was high on the agenda. The effects of weather are increasingly being felt nationally, with considerable damage to rail infrastructure." 

Meanwhile, donations continue to arrive in response to the landslip news. 

"We are incredibly grateful,’ said managing director Gus Dunster. 

"It’s wonderful that so many people want to support us financially to carry out the repair work and get the full line back open as soon as possible. We’ve received £119,000 so far – thank you to every single person who’s donated."