91Èȱ¬

An appeal to help a steam railway has received £73,000 in donations in just over two months.

The Severn Valley Railway, which operates between Kidderminster in Worcestershire and Bridgnorth in Shropshire, said the money was needed for "ongoing costs".

A previous "survival" appeal raised £500,000 and the railway said it was "hugely grateful" for the support.

It has been running trains for visitors for almost 55 years, but said it suffered a huge loss of income during Covid when it had to shut down for extended periods.

During the pandemic it was given a £1m government grant to pay salaries and running costs, which the service said would make a huge difference to its recovery.

The Resilience Fund, which followed the Survival Fund was launched in May.

The Severn Valley Railway's managing director, Jonathan Dunster, said it "requires a steady stream of funding, and will need it for some time".

The railway, which has been forced to cut spending and the number of paid staff it employs, said ticket sales alone could not meet the costs involved.

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