MORE than 4,000 people flocked to Severn Valley Railway for its expanded and revamped Spring Diesel Festival at the weekend.

Attracting record-breaking figures – and up more than 1,500 visitors compared to last year – the Railway’s annual diesel gala featured the grand opening of the new Diesel Locomotive Maintenance Depot.

The great and the good from the British Railway Industry joined the thousands who came to see a varied line-up of visiting diesel locomotives carry out an intensive service along the line, as well as the unveiling of the new £800,000 depot, on the Kidderminster Yard site.

The depot is now the largest and most well-equipped diesel maintenance facility in the UK heritage railway movement.

Sir Peter Hendy CBE, chairman of Network Railway, officially opened the depot on Friday afternoon (May 20), describing it as a ‘fantastic facility’.

Stars of this year’s diesel festival – which had been brought forward from its usual October slot – included representatives of classes 08, 09, 20, 50 and 52 from the SVR’s home fleet, alongside visiting locomotives from classes 20, 31, 33, 37, 46, 50, 55 and new classes 66 and 68 which ran passenger services well into the evening throughout the weekend.

SVR general manager, Nick Ralls, said he was delighted with the popularity of the event and said the opening of the new depot was a vital improvement to the Railway’s infrastructure and recognition of the importance of preserving heritage diesel locomotives as well as its extensive fleet of steam locomotives.

For more information about upcoming events at SVR, visit svr.co.uk or call 01562 757900.