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 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.

Alex McIntyre
BBC News, West Midlands

BBC Shropshire