Severn Valley Railway to trial commuter services

[Shrewbly]

Just spotted that the Severn Valley Railway is intending to trial commuter services between Kidderminster and Bewdley to connect with Snow Hill line trains from 1st September for 8 weeks, with through ticketing.

Details here (with the proviso that there is the usual news article confusion about what is or isn't a locomotive!):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ye23wy3klo

An eight-week trial will test whether heritage steam and diesel trains could be used to extend regular passenger rail services.

Starting on 1 September, it will see Severn Valley Rail (SVR) locomotives operating over a three-and-a-half mile section between Kidderminster and Bewdley, connecting with West Midlands Railway services to and from Birmingham.

SVR added improved rail connectivity had the potential to reduce road congestion and improve access to Bewdley.

SVR's chief executive Gus Dunster said: "It is a highly unusual arrangement that will see main line rail passengers completing part of their journey on a heritage railway using their normal rail tickets."

The service will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with two departures in the mornings at 06:40 and 07:40.

Passengers will change trains at Kidderminster and continue from there.

 

[Forty29]

DMU would make economic sense.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jul 2026 ==

Ah l see they used a picture of it headlining the article.

 

[kje7812]

The DMU is planned to be used most of the time. The trial dates also cover the thursdays of both the Autumn Steam and Diesel Galas. Certainly for the ASG, the 'commuter' service will be steam.

 

[amahy]

Are there only morning departures? If so, I can't see it being very popular, if people can't get home at the end of the day!

This seems like it might be compensation for the WMT Bewdley extension franchise commitment which never happened.

 

[kje7812]

Are there only morning departures? If so, I can't see it being very popular, if people can't get home at the end of the day!

This seems like it might be compensation for the WMT Bewdley extension franchise commitment which never happened.

Evening as well.

Heritage trains to carry commuters as Bewdley rail link trial gets under way - Severn Valley Railway

svr.co.uk

The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) has joined forces with West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) and West Midlands Railway to launch a unique eight-week trial that will test the feasibility of extending regular passenger rail services from Birmingham to Bewdley.

Beginning on 1 September 2026, the trial will see heritage steam and diesel trains operating over the three-and-a-half-mile section of the Severn Valley Railway between Kidderminster and Bewdley, connecting with West Midlands Railway services to and from Birmingham. Passengers will change trains at Kidderminster to complete their journey.

The arrangement is believed to be one of the first of its kind in the UK, with main line rail ticket holders travelling over part of their journey on a heritage railway, hauled by heritage locomotives and operated by heritage railway staff.

The trial forms part of a longer-term project to assess the potential for introducing regular passenger rail services between Bewdley and the wider West Midlands rail network. If demand is demonstrated, it could pave the way for selected services that currently terminate at Kidderminster to be extended to Bewdley in future.

The weekday commuter service will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the trial, with two morning departures from Bewdley at 6.40am and 7.40am. After connecting at Kidderminster, passengers will arrive at Birmingham Snow Hill at 7.46am and 8.46am respectively, with a total journey time of just over an hour.

Evening return services will leave Birmingham Snow Hill at 4.46pm and 5.46pm, arriving back in Bewdley at 5.57pm and 7.02pm following a change at Kidderminster.

The project aims to assess passenger demand and demonstrate the wider benefits of connecting Bewdley more closely with the regional and national rail network. With significant housing growth in the area, improved rail connectivity has the potential to reduce road congestion for commuters while making Bewdley an even more accessible destination for leisure, tourism and business.

 

[Mollman]

Are there only morning departures? If so, I can't see it being very popular, if people can't get home at the end of the day!

This seems like it might be compensation for the WMT Bewdley extension franchise commitment which never happened.

Later in the article it says

The evening return services will leave Snow Hill at 16:46 and 17:46, arriving in Bewdley at 17:57 and 19:02 following a change at Kidderminster.

 

[birchesgreen]

Didn't Chiltern think of doing this a few years ago?

 

[kje7812]

There have several ideas floated in the past. They last for a few months (maybe a little longer) before disappearing.
I personally remain very sceptical of the scheme. Fortunately, as I understand it, the SVR is getting paid during the trial irrespective of usage.

 

[Russel]

There have several ideas floated in the past. They last for a few months (maybe a little longer) before disappearing.
I personally remain very sceptical of the scheme. Fortunately, as I understand it, the SVR is getting paid during the trial irrespective of usage.

Who is paying for it?

 

[kje7812]

Who is paying for it?

Either WMR or West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE). I'd have to double check which.

 

[Russel]

Either WMR or West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE). I'd have to double check which.

Ah okay thanks.

Presumably if this becomes something more than a trial then the SVR would have to source a more suitable DMU to use, though I can't actually think of what is available currently other than the 150s TFW are handing back?

 

[172007]

Tbh WMT running their own trains to Bewdley would not be too difficult, it seems half the Worcester train crew sign the SVR already; and former train crew could signal it too.

 

[Harpo]

Tbh WMT running their own trains to Bewdley would not be too difficult, it seems half the Worcester train crew sign the SVR already;

I doubt that would stop an enormous route learning bill to do it all again to the TOC’s standard plus a bill for all the extra signage that would be found necessary.

 

[The exile]

Ah okay thanks.

Presumably if this becomes something more than a trial then the SVR would have to source a more suitable DMU to use, though I can't actually think of what is available currently other than the 150s TFW are handing back?

They would have to source something that complied with accessibility regulations, presumably. Unlike the Swanage trial, they wouldn’t have the millstone of mainline certification to worry about.

 

[Merle Haggard]

This reminds me of a (very short-lived) promise in the tendering process by what became the WMT franchise to run through services to the West Midlands Safari Park.
Bizarre. ... but true.

 

[AndrewE]

Just spotted that the Severn Valley Railway is intending to trial commuter services between Kidderminster and Bewdley to connect with Snow Hill line trains from 1st September for 8 weeks, with through ticketing.

Details here (with the proviso that there is the usual news article confusion about what is or isn't a locomotive!):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ye23wy3klo

Ah l see they used a picture of it headlining the article.

not only that, but the "accessible" description of the picture of the DMU says "A steam locomotive that is dark green and has lots o... ve its cabin reads 2D46"

 

[CharlieSpotted]

This reminds me of a (very short-lived) promise in the tendering process by what became the WMT franchise to run through services to the West Midlands Safari Park.
Bizarre. ... but true.

I think that's still part of all this - if this trial is successful, I suspect we'll see the idea of a Safari Park station on the SVR pop up again.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Tbh WMT running their own trains to Bewdley would not be too difficult, it seems half the Worcester train crew sign the SVR already; and former train crew could signal it too.

If memory serves, when Chiltern ran a through train to/from Bridgnorth a change of train was required in one direction as the move wasn't signalled to passenger standards.

 

[Djgr]

One issue is that Bewdley is a much smaller place than you might imagine.

Population: 9,267

 

[WestCountry]

If memory serves, when Chiltern ran a through train to/from Bridgnorth a change of train was required in one direction as the move wasn't signalled to passenger standards.

That was fixed during the 2012 resignalling.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

One issue is that Bewdley is a much smaller place than you might imagine.

Small, yes, but an attractive place to spend a few hours especially in good weather.

 

[Merle Haggard]

One issue is that Bewdley is a much smaller place than you might imagine.

With a small station car park, but possibly everywhere is in walking distance.

Small, yes, but an attractive place to spend a few hours especially in good weather.

the service only provides journeys from Bewdley in the morning and return in the evening.

 

[kje7812]

One issue is that Bewdley is a much smaller place than you might imagine.

The argument goes that there is a lot of house building going on. And there is, a lot of houses have been built at the Kidderminster end of town and the large field next to Sandbourne viaduct and the by-pass bridge is being built on at the moment.
Whether it is enough to make the scheme viable remains to be seen.

 

[Forty29]

We have to remember it's only a trial and if not successfully won't go ahead. Hopefully an awareness campaign with leaflets through doors for example will take place to make as many people as possible know about the scheme, though looks like a lot of publicity already through newspapers and social media.

 

[Harpo]

I think that's still part of all this - if this trial is successful, I suspect we'll see the idea of a Safari Park station on the SVR pop up again.

I very strange proposition for a place with a USP of visiting by driving your car around it.

 

[gg1]

This reminds me of a (very short-lived) promise in the tendering process by what became the WMT franchise to run through services to the West Midlands Safari Park.
Bizarre. ... but true.

I remember that. The strangest part of that proposal was that the service would terminate at a new safari park station rather than just call there and carry on a mile further to Bewdley.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

I very strange proposition for a place with a USP of visiting by driving your car around it.

They do also offer seats on a minibus, a safari truck, and you can even hire a 'VIP' jeep for a group of 6, with guides.

 

[adc82140]

I seem to remember the Mid Hants experimenting with something similar, using a Parry People Mover from Four Marks to Alton. Not sure if any services ever ran.

 

[The exile]

the service only provides journeys from Bewdley in the morning and return in the evening.

Though it’s got to get back to / from Bewdley to do the second run. Presumably little reason why that couldn’t be in service.

 

[kje7812]

Though it’s got to get back to / from Bewdley to do the second run. Presumably little reason why that couldn’t be in service.

A posting by Stourbridge Lines User Group (SLUG) suggests the KR-BY am and BY-KR pm workings will be passenger as well.