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Heritage railway wins award for landslip response

Clare LissamanWest Midlands
News imageJack Boskett A green and red steam train going over a railway. The bank is brown with green foliage and there is a section which has grey bricks on it. Jack Boskett
The Flying Scotsman took passengers across the repaired Mor Brook bridge to mark its reopening in July 2025

A heritage railway has won an award for its response to a landslip that left a track "hanging in the air".

Severn Valley Railway (SVR) closed four miles of track after the collapse of a wing wall holding up a bridge over the Mor Brook in Shropshire, on 30 January 2025.

At the Heritage Railway Association (HRA) awards on Saturday, the volunteers, staff and partner groups were recognised with the Chairman's Special Award.

HRA chairman Lord Parkinson said reopening the railway in six months was a "significant achievement".

"After suffering a devastating landslip at Mor Brook, severing the railway into two, the railway was told it could take nine to 12 months to recover, but in reality the line was reinstated in only six months," Parkinson said.

Remedial work took just eight weeks, he added, and the railway "welcomed 60103 Flying Scotsman to reopen the line on a date that was thought impossible when the landslip took place".

The heritage railway runs for 16 miles (28km) from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, to Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

News imageA bridge underneath a railway with a river running underneath it. Earth has fallen away from the railway track leaving it exposed. There is debris and fencing in the river below.
The landslip caused part of the bridge to collapse, leaving hundreds of tonnes of rubble

SVR said the award, which was presented at the ceremony in Llandudno, north Wales, was only given occasionally at the discretion of the chairman for an entry "no other award can really do justice to".

SVR managing director Gus Dunster told those gathered they were delighted to have won.

"I'm immensely proud of the whole team across the Severn Valley Railway, who triumphed last year in the face of extreme adversity," he said.

News imageJack Boskett A line of 10 people dressed in formal evening wear. One of eight men who is wearing a dark suit is holding an award in his hands which is blue and oval shaped with writing on it. Jack Boskett
Gus Dunstar said he was "immensley proud" of the team and how it responded to the "devastating damage"

The landslip caused the collapse of part of the bridge over Mor Brook, a tributary of the River Severn, leaving hundreds of tonnes of rubble.

At the time, SVR's head of infrastructure Chris Bond said the track had been left "hanging in the air".

Supporters helped raise about £36,000 towards the repairs.

At Saturday's event volunteer Jack Baldwin was nominated for the Rising Star Award and highly commended for his work on the HydroShunter project.

The hydrogen-powered shunting engine was developed from the body of a disused Class 08.

Two other SVR projects were highly commended in their categories: The restoration of a Great Western Railway coach into an accessible buffet and saloon and the Boogie Lights Express for innovation.

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