Crowds gather for heritage railway's 40th birthday

A special ceremony has been held to mark the 40th anniversary of Severn Valley Railway's (SVR) Kidderminster Town station.

As part of the celebrations, spectators watched the departure of The Kidderminster Venturer, hauled by 4930 Hagley Hall, the same locomotive that hauled the first service out of the newly-opened station in 1984.

People were also able to enjoy tours of the signal box and Kidderminster Carriage and Wagon Works.

Among the guests was Malcolm Broadhurst, the heritage railway’s first ever station master.

Crowds watched the departure of The Kidderminster Venturer hauled by the same locomotive that pulled the first service out of the station in 1984

"I was appointed the first ever station master of Kidderminster station when there was nothing here," he said.

"Originally there were just the tracks in as British Rail had stopped using it as a goods yard. Then all of a sudden the tracks moved as British Rail took them up.

"So then there was just this open site, then the Severn Valley bought what they needed and they needed a temporary station, not the station as we see it now, it was just a platform."

Contractors and volunteers were brought in to help build up the station, he said, and they secured "bits and pieces" from British Rail to "dress" the station.

"It was a massive project," he added.

Jonathan Dunster, SVR managing director, said he felt the anniversary was a "particularly special day".

"You can just feel the atmosphere," he said.

"The station was faithfully created to a Great Western Railway design of the Victorian era. It's been so authentically done."

He said it was quite emotional to see how popular and loved the railway was.

"But it places a great responsibility on us I think to make sure it keeps on going," he added.