Urgent repairs for Severn Valley Railway viaduct in Kidderminster
Some secrets of Victorian engineering are being unlocked as a heritage railway takes urgent action to save a viaduct.
Falling Sands Viaduct at Kidderminster, on the Severn Valley Railway (SVR), began carrying locomotives over the River Stour and Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal in 1878.
A total of 142 years later, the viaduct has started to crack with water seeping into the seven arches.
The SVR has secured £1.3m funding to save the viaduct, with £853,000 coming from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The viaduct is vital for the railway's future to ensure steam trains can reach Kidderminster, on the line which runs between the Worcestershire town and Bridgnorth in Shropshire.
Work to create new drainage channels and modern-day waterproofing should be completed by April.
Video journalist: John Bray
