DRAWING inspiration from Willy Wonka, Severn Valley Railway is offering eight lucky people a golden opportunity to enjoy an exclusive, behind-the-scenes experience day through its special competition.

As part of the Railway’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Golden Ticket competition has been launched this week and will run until Thursday, December 24.

A first for Severn Valley Railway four lucky winners, plus their guests, will get the chance to enjoy a day out at the Railway like no other.

The day will start with breakfast at the Valley Suite in Kidderminster, followed by a guided, behind-the-scenes tour of the Works at Bridgnorth – the hub of the Railway’s locomotive restoration and maintenance projects, which is normally closed to the public. They will also get the chance to see the inner workings of a signal box, plus other areas on request.

Winners will get free admission to the Engine House Visitor Centre to explore the many interactive exhibits on offer, before enjoying a leisurely lunch on an observation saloon while travelling through the picturesque Severn Valley countryside.

Having enjoyed the comfort of one of the SVR’s fully-restored period carriages, winners will then get the chance to enjoy a ride in the open air on the footplate of one of the SVR’s heritage steam locomotives before heading back to their seats to indulge in afternoon tea.

If all that were not enough, winners will also receive a bottle of bubbly and goodies from the SVR gift shop, as well as an exclusive family pass, allowing unlimited travel on the Railway for three years.

Two of the Golden Tickets will be ‘hidden’ at random among tickets purchased at the SVR’s booking offices, to be discovered by two lucky customers, while a third will be randomly concealed in one of the ticket booking packs which are sent out in the post with tickets purchased in advance.

The final Golden Ticket will be up for grabs on the Severn Valley Railway Families Facebook page from this week.

Clare Gibbard, marketing and communications manager, said: “This being our Golden Jubilee, we thought this competition would be an apt way to help mark the occasion and to give a special something back to our customers.

“The prize is a truly special one and something that we have never done before – we hope that it will offer people a lovely snapshot of the Railway, what it offers and how it works, as well as being an indulgent and enjoyable way to spend a day.”

The competition will close on December 24 and the experience day will be arranged on a date, to be confirmed, during the 2016 spring season.