SEVERN Valley Railway (SVR) celebrated its official opening of the Kidderminster Diesel Depot on Friday (May 20), two years after work on the £800,000 project began.

The new 100m2 facility, which will be used to house up to eight diesel locomotives at any one time, is now the largest diesel maintenance facility in the UK heritage railway movement.

Funding from the SVR Charitable Trust, other contributors, as well as fundraising, has enabled the installation of two inspection pits, lifting jacks and a 10-tonne overhead travelling crane.

Nick Paul, Chairman, said: "This building is a real statement of intent and a real statement of confidence for the future of Severn Valley Railway.

"I suspect it will be the envy of the heritage railway movement.

"This is a purpose-built diesel maintenance depot complete with special equipment and most importantly a safe, clean and dry working environment for all of our fantastic, dedicated diesel volunteers."

Volunteers from SVR groups undertook work on fitting the interior of the building between December 2015 and February 2016, allowing the facilities to be in use since March.

Rolund Bull, a volunteer depot manager who has been involved in SVR for over 20 years, said: "It has been a real labour to love to be able to do this and it is wonderful to have it opened.

"For years we have work out in the fields in the weather. For the first time all the volunteers were in here we had teams of people working on locos and it rained.

"All of sudden there was a spontaneous cheer as in the past we would have to grin and bear it or run for cover."

Discussions between SVR Holdings and Diesel Groups over facilities to accommodate the locomotives began during the early 1990s, with planning permission formally approved in 2013.

Jonathan Dunster, Chairman of the Diesel Committee, which fronted the project, said: "It has taken 21 years of planning to get to this stage.

"We had a few hiccups along the way but we have persisted with it to a point where we got fundraising that was affordable.

"Today marks another milestone for us and perhaps the beginning of the future."

Tony Bending, a director who first joined SVR a year after it formed on July 6, 1965, said: "We have gone through having to work on steam liners in the open and with this new shed it will be brilliant.

"It’s a big step. We are all really proud of what we have achieved over the years."

The facility was officially opened by Sir Peter Hendy CBE, Chairman of Network Rail.

A GB Railfreight loco 66763 was also named 'Severn Valley Railway’ at the official launch.

Visits to the depot are available from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, May 21, with a suggested donation of £2, coinciding with the Spring Diesel Festival.