Flying Scotsman visit extended after sell-out

A line of people stand in a field and watch as the iconic Flying Scotsman locomotive travels along a railway in the middle of the countryside. Steam can be seen coming out the front of the train. There are trees on the other side of the track and a settlement is visible on the horizon.  Image source, Severn Valley Railway
Image caption,

The Flying Scotsman will run on the Severn Valley Railway in July

  • Published

An extra day has been added to the Flying Scotsman's visit to the Severn Valley Railway after tickets sold out in three minutes.

The famous locomotive is due to visit the line between Bridgnorth, Shropshire, and Kidderminster, Worcestershire, in July to celebrate the heritage railway's full reopening.

It was originally scheduled to run on the line from 25 to 27 July but following the high demand, there will now be an additional three return journeys on 28 July.

About 1,000 tickets for the extra day will be available on the railway's website from 10:00 BST on Tuesday.

Jonathan Dunster, Severn Valley Railway's (SVR's) managing director, said he was "incredibly grateful" to the National Railway Museum and Northern Steam Operations Ltd for extending the Flying Scotsman's stay.

"Clearly, SVR supporters are hugely keen to travel behind this world-famous loco, and we want as many people as possible to be able to do that at the Severn Valley Railway," he said.

The front of the iconic Flying Scotsman locomotive stopped at a train station. It is green in colour with the very front face black with a blue sign at the top that says "The Flying Scotsman" and the number 60103 underneath. Image source, Severn Valley Railway
Image caption,

The iconic locomotive's visit marks the full reopening of the Severn Valley Railway

The northern part of the railway was forced to close in January after a landslip at Mor Brook Bridge meant trains could only travel between Kidderminster and Hampton Loade while repairs were carried out.

The embankment has also been strengthened with concrete blocks and the track will be re-laid before load testing is carried out to ensure its safety.

The Flying Scotsman would then be the first train to travel along the re-laid track on 25 July, making trips up and down the entire line.

The railway is due to hold a Swinging Sixties weekend on 26 and 27 July and people who miss out on Flying Scotsman tickets have been urged to attend the event to see the train from the platform.

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