The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) has rounded off its 2025 operating season in style, following the outstanding success of its two end-of-season enthusiast events: the Winter Diesel Day on 29 December 2025 and the two-day Winter Steam Gala on 3 and 4 January 2026.
Both events attracted excellent attendances, generated overwhelmingly positive feedback from visitors and demonstrated the continuing strength and appeal of the SVR’s enthusiast offering.
Winter Diesel Day proves a major draw
Despite unsettled skies, the SVR’s Winter Diesel Day once again delivered a memorable experience for diesel enthusiasts, welcoming nearly 1,100 visitors, and continuing a trend of steadily increasing attendance year on year.
A packed and varied timetable featured an impressive line-up of resident locomotives, including Classes 17, 20, 33, 46, 50, 52, 101 and 108, alongside visiting Class 37s 37418 and 37508. The visiting locomotives, kindly provided by owner Steve Benniston and operator LORAM UK, proved to be a particular highlight, with the 10.15 departure running at standing-room-only capacity.
Visitors were quick to praise the friendliness and helpfulness of station staff and volunteers, as well as the smooth organisation of the event. Social media channels were awash with glowing reviews, with words such as “magnificent” and “legendary” frequently used to describe the day.
Although Class 50 No 50007 was unable to appear as advertised, fellow Class 50 No 50049 stepped in to deputise, ensuring the only ‘blues’ on the day were the immaculate BR liveries on display.
SVR managing director Gus Dunster said:
“The Winter Diesel Day is now firmly established in the SVR calendar. Once again, thanks to the tremendous efforts of our staff and volunteers, feedback has been universally positive. The standard of delivery just keeps getting better, and I’m immensely proud of everyone involved.”Winter Steam Gala delivers sunshine, spectacle and superb photography
The Railway’s first event of 2026, the Winter Steam Gala, proved to be a fitting finale to the festive season and a standout success. Now in its third year, the gala has become a popular opportunity for families and enthusiasts alike to enjoy one last celebration before the railway’s annual winter closure.
Held under striking blue skies, with frost and lingering snow dusting the Severn Valley, packed trains departed Kidderminster and Bridgnorth throughout Saturday and Sunday. Stations and carriages remained festively decorated, adding to a warm, convivial atmosphere on board.
As well as the locomotives themselves, the dramatic winter scenery drew admiration from passengers, with memorable moments including spontaneous applause as trains crossed Victoria Bridge, the River Severn sparkling below in the low winter sun.
The gala featured GWR locomotives 1450, 7714, 7802 and 4930, alongside BR Standard 75069, LMS 13268 and the Class 108 DMU. Passenger figures exceeded those of the previous year, with the home fleet performing strongly throughout the weekend.
The conditions also made the event especially successful for photographers, as one of the SVR’s volunteer photographers commented:
Keith Wilkinson, one of the SVR’s volunteer photographers, commented:
“I’ve been photographing steam locomotives at the SVR since the 1980s, and this was one of the best galas I’ve recorded in years. The bright sunshine combined with hoar frost made the line look absolutely magical, especially against the stunning scenery of the River Severn.”
‘Two brilliant events’ cap a challenging but successful season
Reflecting on both events, managing director Gus Dunster added:
“The Winter Steam Gala was the perfect way to close the season, coming straight after the very successful Winter Diesel Day. Both events featured imaginative timetables, excellent performances from our fleets and were very well supported by visitors, with feedback once again comprehensively positive. One email I received summed it up perfectly, simply saying: ‘Two brilliant events – the SVR is just the best railway ever!’”
He continued:
“I would like to thank all our volunteers and staff, not only for these two events but for their dedication throughout the whole season. It’s been a challenging year at times, but in true SVR fashion we’ve prevailed through sheer determination. My thanks go to every single person involved.”
The Severn Valley Railway is now closed for its annual winter maintenance period and will reopen on 14 February for the half-term holiday. Upcoming events include Paddington character visits from 17–19 February, a special Branch Line Weekend on 28 February and 1 March, and the immersive Boogie Lights Express, running on Friday and Saturday evenings from mid-February to mid-March.
Further details can be found at svr.co.uk.