All aboard the Flying Scotsman as line reopens

The Flying Scotsman is due to visit the railway on 25, 26 and 27 July

It's all aboard at Severn Valley Railway as the Flying Scotsman arrived on Wednesday ahead of the first trips following a landslide.

The famous locomotive will celebrate its full reopening on 25 July, running the 16-mile route between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster.

Gus Dunster, the managing director at the Severn Valley, said he was excited to see hundreds of people visit the beloved train and have their "imagination captured".

"It's been a year of ups and downs for us this year, because the landslide in January really set us back, but now it's all finished and we're getting ready to open next week. We wanted to do it in a really high-profile way," he said.

The Flying Scotsman first entered service in 1923.

The northern part of the track in Shropshire had to close in January due to a landslide, which meant trains could go no further than Hampton Loade while the repairs were carried out.

The Flying Scotsman first entered service in 1923.

It broke records by hauling the first non-stop London to Edinburgh service in 1928 and became the UK's first locomotive to officially reach a speed of 100mph six years later.

Mr Dunster said although train enthusiasts will come in droves, he looked forward to younger generations learning about it.

"Many people won't be enthusiasts but just be general members of the public and youngsters whose imaginations have been captured.

"We knew it would be popular, and we optimistically hoped it would sell out very quickly, which it did," he added.

Tickets to travel onboard the train sold out in three minutes, which prompted extra tickets to be released. They include options for on-train dining.

"We really want to encourage people from wider demographics to come and experience heritage railways and all the different things that we can do.

"Getting the next generations to come through is critical to railways on this, being here in another 60 years," he said.

The Flying Scotsman is due to visit the heritage line on 25, 26 and 27 July. It will only stop at Bridgnorth and Kidderminster on the 16-mile route.