A heritage railway line will fully reopen, after an embankment collapse, in late July, with the Flying Scotsman heading up the first service.

Land between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade on the Severn Valley Railway gave way at the Mor Brook bridge on 30 January and trains have only been running between Kidderminster in Worcestershire and Hampton Loade, Shropshire.

The 16-mile route between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth in Shropshire will fully reopen on 25 July.

Flying Scotsman will also run on 26 and 27 July as part of the SVR’s Swingin’ Sixties event, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the line in preservation.

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.

When 60103 Flying Scotsman last visited the SVR in 2016, it proved a sell-out success, the heritage attraction said.

Tickets for its return must be pre-booked from Wednesday.

SVR managing director Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster said getting the historic engine was a coup.

“Opportunities to travel behind this iconic loco on a heritage line are rare.

Director of the National Railway Museum Craig Bentley said: “We are delighted to be able to make this visit from the world’s most famous steam locomotive possible, and to help Severn Valley Railway mark an important moment in its recovery.”

Work was now well under way to repair the “serious embankment collapse”, the SVR said.

The heritage line has previously said more than 2,500 tonnes of material had been excavated and a temporary culvert installed to allow full access for machinery.

There are six stations along the route, as well as the Engine House Visitor Centre at Highley.

The Swingin’ Sixties event will also include live music at Kidderminster and Highley and displays of classic vehicles at Kidderminster, Highley and Bridgnorth.

Image Credit: Ian Cawthorne

Andrew Dawkins
BBC News, West Midlands

BBC Shropshire