Severn Valley Railway 'overwhelmed' with ticket sales on first day back
Severn Valley Railway has been "overwhelmed" with ticket sales for its first passenger service since the coronavirus lockdown.
The heritage railway started selling tickets again today and is asking people to make sure their order has been confirmed following "fantastic demand".
With stations in Bridgnorth and Kidderminster, the attraction is opening on August 1 after months of closure.
Over the next few weeks, the railway will gradually bring back its 1,800 volunteers, along with paid staff – 95 per cent of whom have been on furlough.
In a post online, the railway said it had been "overwhelmed with fantastic demand" for tickets, and asked people that had not yet received a confirmation email to order again to ensure their request is met.
Tickets are initially only available for the first two weeks in August and will be for a reduced timetable of locomotives, with a number of safety measures in place.
This comes after the railway's two pubs, The King and Castle at Kidderminster station and the Railwayman’s Arms at Bridgnorth, served their first customers on Saturday.
As a result of forced closure, the railway is expected to lose up to £6 million this year.
An emergency appeal to help keep the popular attraction open has so far received more than £745,000. The railway has also applied for a bank loan under the CBILS scheme and to the National Lottery for emergency grant aid.
