Severn Valley Railway - public (not tourist) service trial

[whole diary]

[grahame]

From Facebook

A trial train service that will enable passengers from Bewdley to connect onto services to and from Birmingham or Worcester has been announced.  The trial will run for eight weeks on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1 September.  A heritage DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) will leave Bewdley at 0640 and 0740 for Kidderminster Town station to enable passengers to transfer to Kidderminster station for onward travel on the main line.  In the evening, the heritage DMU will leave Kidderminster Town at 1745 and 1850 for Bewdley.

If this is successful, a submission will be made to DfTO^» (Department for Transport Operator Limited - about) to operate a regular service to and from Bewdley.  West Midlands Safari Park has expressed an interest in providing links from these services to the Safari Park if the trial proves successful

[Andy]

A blueprint for, amongst others, Bodmin General-Parkway, and Kingswaer-Paignton perhaps?

[Witham Bobby]

A blueprint for, amongst others, Bodmin General-Parkway, and Kingswaer-Paignton perhaps?

Not to mention Taunton - Minehead 

After all, the people of West Somerset have only been waiting 55 years so far

[grahame]

A blueprint for, amongst others, Bodmin General-Parkway, and Kingswaer-Paignton perhaps?

Not to mention Taunton - Minehead 

After all, the people of West Somerset have only been waiting 55 years so far

I like that ... but yet the Severn Valley does not use any Network Rails track, nor do the Bodnin or Kingswear suggestions.  Others similar are services to Chinnor and Wallingford.    Running onto Network Rail lines - Minehead and Swanage, please.

[Chris from Nailsea]

A few subsequent posts here, which refer specifically to the Minehead Branch line, have been split off and merged with an ongoing discussion, at https://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=2688.msg377316#msg377316

Nothing has been deleted - just merged, in the interests of continuity and clarity, for ease of future reference.

[grahame]

https://svr.co.uk/news/bewdley-express-rolls-out-for-first-commuter-journey-on-the-svr/

Bewdley Express rolls out for first commuter journey on the SVR

The Severn Valley Railway’s Bewdley Express commuter trial got off to a flying start today [Tuesday 1 September] as the first heritage train carried passengers from Bewdley towards Birmingham, marking the beginning of an eight-week experiment in connecting the town directly with the wider West Midlands rail network.

The inaugural service, which departed Bewdley at 6.40am, attracted plenty of interest, with press and photographers on hand to capture the historic first journey.

Representatives of Bewdley Town Council and Worcestershire County Council were also present, alongside representatives of the three organisations that have worked together to make the trial possible: the Severn Valley Railway (SVR), West Midlands Railway and the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE).

The Bewdley Express operates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during the eight-week trial, with two morning services departing Bewdley at 6.40am and 7.40am. Passengers change at Kidderminster for West Midlands Railway services, with the first service reaching Birmingham Snow Hill at 7.46am and the second at 8.46am.

Evening return services leave Birmingham Snow Hill at 4.46pm and 5.46pm, connecting at Kidderminster with SVR trains back to Bewdley, arriving at 5.57pm and 7.02pm respectively.

I wish the trial well.  I ... worry ... that people may try it out, but many who could make long term use of it will just make the odd journey knowing it's only running - err - 3 days a week for 8 weeks.