Severn Valley line preservation dates back to 1965, when a bunch of train line fans formed the Severn Valley Railway Society at Kidderminster.Primary efforts succeeded in raising ten percent of £25,000 price for the closed 5-mile section of the Severn Valley line from Bridgnorth to Alveley.By 1967 the 1st rolling stock and four coaches, had been received. The next 3 years were spent in restoring to line to operating condition, and getting the legal authority, a Light Railway Order, from the Ministry of Transport, gained only after experiencing substantial problems.
* The brief account of SVR Railwat Line:- 1862 was a very important year for the area ; it saw the completion of the The Severn Valley train line .Started 4 years back in 1858, the line linked Hartlebury, near Droitwich, with Shrewsbury, forty miles away.The significant intermediate stations were Stourport-on-Severn, Bewdley, Arley, Highley, Hampton Loade, Bridgnorth, Coalport, Ironbridge, Buildwas, Cressage and Berrington.
* Hauling Coal by the ton:- In 1878 a line was constructed from Bewdley to Kidderminster.This enabled trains to run direct from the West Midlands, though most Kidderminster to Bewdley trains continued through the Wyre Forest line to Tenbury Wells or Woofferton.At Buildwas Junction station Severn Valley trains connected with services from Wellington to Much Wenlock and Craven Arms.
The railway line though providing an essential service for the development of the district, wasn't a financial success. In the Great Western age, the pattern of services stayed similar, with usually 4 passenger trains every day in each direction over the entire line, and one or two more on the section south of Bridgnorth. Freight traffic, often of a rural nature, and coal traffic from the Highley area, were the principle sources of income.
* The Engine House Fires up :- In 2008 SVR reached another significant milepost with the opening of a landmark building, The Engine House, the new Visitor & Education Centre at Highley. This has been made feasible with monetary help again from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Western european Regional Development Fund, along with Advantage West Midlands.The opening of The Engine House got delayed for a year by the flood damages to the line and was officially opened by the Duke of Gloucester in October 2009.