Network Rail and Severn Valley Railway celebrate successful year-long partnership

The first-ever official partnership between Network Rail and a heritage railway, Severn Valley Railway (SVR), has marked its one-year anniversary with significant achievements and mutual benefits. The collaboration, involving Network Rail’s Central route and the SVR, has focused on sharing expertise, technology and facilities, offering advantages to both the modern rail network and the historic line.

Over the past 12 months, the partnership has delivered practical improvements, from cost savings to enhanced safety training opportunities. One notable success earlier this year involved a drone inspection of the iconic Victoria Bridge, a cast iron structure built in 1861. Traditionally, inspecting this bridge, which spans the River Severn, was a costly and time-consuming process. However, the use of a high-resolution drone reduced the inspection time from days to just a few hours, saving SVR nearly £10,000.

In return, Network Rail engineers have been using the heritage railway as a test site to refine drone technology for future use on the main rail network. The partnership has also provided a hands-on environment for training on semaphore signalling, still in operation on parts of the rail system near Worcester.

Denise Wetton, Network Rail’s Central Route Director, said: “I’m pleased we have been able to help such an important heritage railway which is loved by so many people. It’s an important community asset which now plays a key role in allowing us to trial new technology and train our staff in a safe railway environment. I’m excited to see the relationship develop even further over the next 12 months.”

Gus Dunster, Severn Valley Railway’s Managing Director, said: “The Severn Valley Railway has seen huge benefits in terms of generously shared advice and expertise from Network Rail as well as significant donations of surplus track assets. In return, we’ve been proud to facilitate training and testing opportunities for them. It’s a win-win situation which we look forward to continuing to develop going forward.”

Looking ahead, the two organisations are planning further investments, including building a new shower block for SVR volunteers and testing a high-tech visual inspection train. This new train will help monitor track and infrastructure conditions, ensuring safety and efficiency on both heritage and mainline railways.

Since its preservation began in 1965, the Severn Valley Railway has grown into one of the UK’s most prominent heritage lines, and its collaboration with Network Rail reflects an innovative way to safeguard both rail history and modern infrastructure for the future.