The Severn Valley Railway has won four prestigious accolades at this year’s Heritage Railway Association awards, and was highly commended in two further categories.

Veteran SVR supporter and volunteer David Williams won a lifetime achievement award, to become the Railway Magazine Preservationist of the Year for 2025. David has been involved with the SVR since its very early days, and served 57 years as editor of its supporter publication SVR News. He has also volunteered as a locomotive driver and held positions at board level.

The SVR-based Diesel Traction Group received the Rail Express Modern Traction Award. This recognises its long and continuing involvement with the preservation of main line diesel.

The tiny but lovingly cared-for Eardington station scooped the award for Station of the Year. Re-opened to passengers after more than four decades in 2023, Eardington is truly unique as the only remaining station that is lit entirely by oil and paraffin.

And the SVR was a joint winner of the Achievement of the Year award for its landmark partnership with Network Rail. The first and only partnership of its kind in the UK, it has led to cooperation across many aspects of both organisations. Most recently, NR engineers have assisted with investigations into the SVR’s significant landslip towards the northern end of its line, whilst the SVR has provided training and testing facilities and volunteering opportunities for NR employees.

For more information, visit: svr.co.uk