'The response from the public to our appeal really has exceeded our expectations' Railway bosses pleased with support for their resilience fund

In May, the cash-strapped heritage line wound down its survival fund, which it launched in 2023 when it faced a financial crisis that “threatened its very existence”.

It had raised more than £400,000 but bosses replaced the fundraising initiative with a new resilience fund, aimed at providing longer-term support for the struggling railway.

And the response from the public has “exceeded our expectations” managing director, Gus Dunster has said.

He added: “We’re hugely grateful to everyone who’s responded, and it’s heartening to see that they clearly understand the sheer expense of running a heritage railway like the Severn Valley.

“We want to keep highlighting how much we’ll need ongoing support. The SVR requires a steady stream of funding and will need it for some time. This isn’t about making a big splash or hitting a target. It’s about bolstering our resilience for the long haul.”

The SVR Resilience Fund is being led by the Severn Valley Railway Company Limited, the volunteer-run member of the SVR family.

SVR Company chair Diane Malyon paid tribute to volunteers for the work they’re doing to promote the appeal. She said: “We’ve seen so much engagement from our volunteers in terms of highlighting the appeal to our visitors at every opportunity. Our travelling ticket inspectors, for example, are distributing and collecting donation envelopes on the trains. And in our shops and cafes, there are collection pots for spare change, and people can make card donations at the tills.

“Every little bit helps, and it’s important that we never miss an opportunity to explain why we need this ongoing support. Did you know we need £500 for coal each time we run a return steam-hauled service along the line? Or, that it costs £400 for the 24 litres of specialist paint and varnish that we use for a locomotive repaint?

“We’re receiving superb backing from our regular supporter base of members and shareholders, who already know that ticket sales simply can’t pay the full costs of running a heritage line. But we’re also appealing to people who are perhaps visiting us for the first time, and we’re making a concerted effort to explain the costs to them in our leaflets and on our website.”