SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY REPAIRS ON TRACK, BUT MUCH WORK AND MORE FUNDING NEEDED

10.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 16th Oct 2007

LibDem Euro MP Liz Lynne has pledged to redouble her efforts to secure additional funding support for the Severn Valley Railway after inspecting the massive reconstruction work underway to rebuild the damaged track with senior SVR management.

Liz Lynne and new LibDem Parliamentary Candidate Cllr Heather Kidd were shown around the reconstruction site to restore the trackbed at Highley station by General Manager Nick Ralls and his team on Friday October 12th.

The new and almost complete state-of-the-art Locomotive Museum and Engine Shed at Highley is marooned by a huge hole in the track caused by the raging floodwater in June.

Liz Lynne said: "The sheer scale of the devastation at Highley, just south of the station, is staggering. Outside this wonderful new working museum, the largest steam locomotive museum outside the National Railway Museum at York, is a huge hole! Excavators and diggers are working frantically but this is not just a small repair job, a considerable length of the railway is having to be completely rebuilt.

"Nick Ralls and his team are doing an amazing job. Highley is only one of 47 reconstruction sites to repair this historic railway line, yet the total bill has been kept down to £2.5 million at the latest estimate.

"It was useful to see how the repairs are going in practice. The Severn Valley Railway is a vital part of the local economy and we must get it fully operational again as soon as possible, in time for next year's visitors.

"It is encouraging that the Severn Valley has already had considerable success in drawing down a number of different grants and its Flood Damage Appeal has been very generously supported by SVR members and the public, but there is still a funding gap.

"I was horrified at the damage the floods caused across the region during the summer, including the devastation caused to the Railway which we have seen here. I shall now continue to see what I can do to help, especially on securing further aid from the European Union, both for the Railway and the rest of the flood-affected areas. We are all waiting to see what the UK's bid for help from the EU Solidarity Fund will bring, but a final decision may yet take several months."

Cllr Heather Kidd, the new LibDem Parliamentary Candidate for Ludlow constituency said: "We could see that great progress has already been made, but much more work needs to be done. It is also clear that East Shropshire's local economy has been quite seriously affected by the loss of business from visitors to the railway, we desperately need to do all we can to get the trains running again and to allow this stunning new building at Highley to be opened."

"We also need government to take a lead to change the way drainage is managed by the planning system and by agriculture. The railway is in a difficult geological location, as are many of the chalet dwellings which have been built near the River Severn over the years. We need to make sure that the local drains and culverts around the railway and below it can cope if we get rainfall like this again, which with climate change seems all too probable. We also need to look at the run-off problem, both from areas of tarmac and crops such as rye grass. We cannot just leave it all to the SVR to sort out."

The railway is still open for business between Kidderminster to Bewdley, and Mr Ralls said he hoped the Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade section would re-open by the end of 2007. The target for full re-opening is February next year.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Picture captions:

1) Liz Lynne MEP viewing damage and repair work at Highley Station. L-R Nick Ralls (SVR General Manager), Cllr Heather Kidd, Phil Sowden (SVR Chief Engineer), Liz Lynne MEP, David Mee (SVR Educational Services Manager)

2) Liz Lynne MEP viewing damage and repair work at Highley Station. L-R Nick Ralls (SVR General Manager), Cllr Heather Kidd, Phil Sowden (SVR Chief Engineer), Liz Lynne MEP, David Mee (SVR Educational Services Manager)

Liz Lynne submitted a European Parliamentary Question requesting flood aid for the region in June. The MEP welcomed an initial response from Commissioner Danuta Hubner but was concerned that the SVR should be included in any UK bid for funding from the EU Solidarity Fund.

Ms Lynne then wrote to floods minister John Healey urging this. He replied confirming it had been included in the bid and confirmed that £1.5 million has already been made available to help the railway.

The total repair bill is currently estimated to be at least £2.5 million. The railway will also incur massive loss of revenue before it can fully reopen. The Railway is however still open for business between Kidderminster and Bewdley.

Liz Lynne has also recently called for the streamlining of the rules and application process for the EU Solidarity Fund, to make sure aid reaches where it is needed more quickly, in the light of the UK and Eastern European floods, and the Greek forest fires.

The European Commission is understood to be looking favourably on the UK's £2.9 billion bid for emergency aid under the EU Solidarity Fund which was submitted on the 20th of August. It will discussed by the European Parliament, its Budget Committee and the Council of Ministers in the next few months. It will then be voted on by all MEPs.

Severn Valley Railway: http://www.svr.co.uk/

EU Solidarity Fund: http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/g24217.htm