2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic

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COVID-19 is a pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. This page will be updated as the situation develops.

COVID-19

A pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan, China was first reported to the World Health Organisation ('WHO') Country Office in China on 31 December 2019. It spread globally during early 2020. It was characterised by a rapid spread of flu-like symptoms with difficulty in breathing in severe cases, with increased mortality in those over 60 years of age and those with underlying health issues.

On 11 February the WHO announced "coronavirus disease (COVID-19)" as the name of this new disease. The virus is genetically related to the coronavirus responsible for the SARS outbreak of 2003 although, while related, the two viruses are different.[1]

On 11 March WHO characterised COVID-19 as a pandemic, a global outbreak. During March it escalated quickly in Europe and elsewhere leading to several countries prohibiting international movement and ‘lockdowns’ in regions and countries, with measures for ‘social distancing’.

UK Timeline

  • On 5 March COVID-19 was listed as a notifiable disease in England. The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish devolved governments had done so by 26 February.
  • From 16 March the government began listing social distancing guidance advising large gatherings should not take place: it advised against all non-essential travel and social contact, to include working from home where possible and avoiding venues such as pubs, restaurants and theatres. These were updated daily with further restrictions requested (but not mandated) of individuals and organisations.
  • On 18 March the government announced loan guarantees (CBILSCoronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, a government backed loan scheme) for some businesses following forecasts of a significant drop in business. For the hospitality and leisure sector there will be a business rates holiday and a £25k cash grant per retail and leisure business for those without specific pandemic insurance.[2] This was subsequently extended to include other measures, including a 'furlough' scheme by which the government funded up to 80% of wages for laid off staff.
  • On 23 March more severe measures closed the shops and resulted in a partial 'shutdown', with people told not to leave their homes.
  • On 17 April the partial shutdown was extended for a further three weeks. The government pay scheme for furloughed workers was extended until the end of June and would be extended again "if necessary".[3]
  • On 22 April Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical officer, said social distancing would have to stay in place until a vaccine was available, with “highly disruptive” distancing needed to be in place for “really quite a long period of time” and until at least the end of the year.[4]
  • On 10 May the government announced plans to ease lockdown restrictions in England to enable more people to go back to work, but that people should avoid public transport for social distancing reasons. At the earliest shops would not open until June and pubs and restaurants until July.[5] People in England should now aim to wear face coverings in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible, such as on public transport and in some shops.
  • On 11 May the ORROffice of Rail and Road, formerly Office of Rail Regulation, the independent safety and economic regulator for Britain's railways which includes HM Railway Inspectorate published heritage railways recovery plan guidance, reminding them always to risk assess their return to service.[6]
  • On 12 May the furlough scheme was extended until October but with employers to be responsible for part of the cost from August.

Timeline of events on the SVRSevern Valley Railway

The railway reopened in February 2020 as planned, operating between Bridgnorth and Bewdley only, due to repairs on Falling Sands Viaduct and track relaying between there and Bewdley Tunnel. It was intended to reopen the line throughout from 4 April.

The last public trains ran on Sunday 15 March. The SVRSevern Valley Railway monitored the developing situation daily and followed Government guidelines, considering the utmost importance was the safety and well-being of volunteers, staff and customers. Due to the changing situation Government advice also changed surrounding gatherings, to which the SVRSevern Valley Railway responded as it felt was necessary and sensible.

  • 17 March: it postponed train services for the rest of the month.
  • 18 March: it postponed train services and closed The Engine House and Refreshment Rooms for the rest of March and throughout April. It also cancelled the following events: Easter Holidays, Spring Steam Gala, Open House Weekend, Spring Diesel Festival and 50th Anniversary event.
  • 20 March: it confirmed that the pubs at Kidderminster and Bridgnorth would close. It also launched an emergency appeal for funding to help the railway survive. By 24 March this had raised £50,000.
  • 26 March: an updated appeal was launched for share purchases and donations, seeking £250,000 "to keep the Railway ticking over for the next three months".
  • 2 April: the appeal reached £120,000.
  • 9 April: the total closure was extended until at least the end of May.
  • 15 April: the total closure was extended until at least the end of June, and the 1940s event cancelled.
  • 16 April: the appeal reached £416,193.
  • 24 April: the appeal passed £565,000.
  • 30 April: the appeal passed £650,000.
  • 7 May The SVRSevern Valley Railway announced it would apply for a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for £50,000 to help heritage businesses who have suffered because of the COVID-19 crisis. It was also working on the application for a CBILSCoronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, a government backed loan scheme loan. A visitor survey was to be launched to attempt to gauge the feelings of our regular visitors, to give an indication of consumer confidence and what level of visitor numbers in the coming 12 months.
  • By 13 May the apeal raised more than £680,000 in donations and share purchases.

Effects on the SVRSevern Valley Railway

The combination of February's flooding and land movements, the continuing planned work at Falling Sands and coronavirus and meant the SVRSevern Valley Railway was faced with a serious financial challenge. Three-quarters of paid staff were temporarily 'furloughed', volunteers instructed not to attend, and only minimal contract engineering work continued. The railway remained unconnected between Bewdley and Kidderminster.[7].

The SVRSevern Valley Railway also announced it would not be able "to make our crucial annual investment into the Railway. This amounts to £4.5million, and funds essential restorations to our infrastructure and rolling stock, along with apprentice training and a desperately needed overhaul of our IT infrastructure"[8].

See also

Severn Valley Railway Timeline 2020-2029

References

  1. ↑ WHO, ‘Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it’ (Retrieved 18 March 2020)
  2. ↑ BBC News (Retrieved 18 March 2020)
  3. ↑ BBC Business, 'Coronavirus: Salary subsidy scheme extended into June', 17 April 2020 (Retrieved 18 April 2020)
  4. ↑ Mason, R. and Proctor, K., 'UK will need social distancing until at least end of year, says Whitty', The Guardian, 22 April 2020 (Retrieved 22 April 2020)
  5. ↑ BBC News, 11 May 2020 (Retrieved 11 May 2020)
  6. ↑ [https://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/42877/heritage-railway-recovery-plan-in-response-to-covid-19.pdf
  7. ↑ Branch Lines, April 2020 (Retrieved 2 April 2020)
  8. ↑ Holden, M., Rail Advent 17 April 2020 (Retrieved 18 April 2020)

Links

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SVR Wiki

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Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway Wiki

From this week's featured article
"76738" is a London and North Western Railway Company 10-ton Goods Van, although it carries a fictitious number as its true identity is unknown. After restoration it saw limited use in the SVRSevern Valley Railway's demonstration goods train, but due to its age and wooden underframe it is now in static use as a sales coach at Bridgnorth. (Full article...)
Schematic Map of the SVRSevern Valley Railway
BridgnorthEardingtonHampton LoadeCountry Park HaltHighleyThe Engine HouseArleyVictoria BridgeNorthwood HaltWyre Forest LineBewdleyStourport BranchBewdley TunnelConnection to Network RailKidderminsterMaps#Schematic maps of the pre-closure SVRMapandlinks.png
Click on the map for a
larger interactive version

For 101 years between 1862 and 1963, the Severn Valley Railway formed part of the national railway network, running for 40 miles between Hartlebury and Shrewsbury. Established as a separate company, it was mainly operated by the Great Western Railway (GWRGreat Western Railway) and later by British Railways (BRBritish Rail or British Railways).

The present day Severn Valley Railway (SVRSevern Valley Railway) was established in 1965 to preserve part of the line as a heritage railway. Today it has six stations and two halts and runs for 16 miles along the Severn Valley between Bridgnorth in Shropshire and Kidderminster in Worcestershire, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route. Operations involve a mixture of steam and heritage diesel-hauled services.

This unofficial website is a project aimed to collect information and record events relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both past and present.

For timetables, fare information, and news about special events, please visit the SVR Official Website. Other news and information of interest to members, shareholders and enthusiasts can be found on SVRLive.

In April 2023 the SVRSevern Valley Railway announced the launch of a Survival Fund to enable it to overcome the current financial crisis and implement longer-term plans for its future. Information and details of how to donate may be found on the SVRSevern Valley Railway's Survival Fund page.

Categories of article

History of the Severn Valley Railway

Current events on the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Information about the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Miscellaneous


Query Corner

Unsurprisingly, there are a large number of questions about the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both in pre-preservation days and for a number of historical items since then. Take a visit down to Query Corner to see if you have a recollection relating to some long forgotten event, or know of a reliable source (maybe an early edition of the SVR News?) that might have the information we need!

Adding to this Wiki

This site, or "wiki", is a collaborative effort, and anyone who has any knowledge relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway should feel free to contribute. Once you have created a user account and logged in, you can modify any page by clicking the "Edit" button in the top right hand corner. For some tips on how to format pages, and some guidelines on how to make this wiki accessible can be found on Tips for contributing to the SVR Wiki.

Alternatively, if you don't feel confident editing this Wiki (although there is no reason you shouldn't!!), each article also has a "Discussion" page, which can be accessed by clicking the relevant button in the top left hand corner. This allows you to make additions, suggestions, or corrections to a page without making any change to the article itself.


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