Government minister Pat McFadden today urged tourists to visit the flood-damaged Severn Valley Railway as it continues to undergo repairs.

The Minister of State at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform was today in Shropshire and was given a tour by railway directors to show how repairs are progressing.

He said the railway needed the support of visitors to help it get back up and running.

Mr McFadden said: “Although the railway is undergoing repairs it remains open and I would encourage people to come to Shropshire. It is a fantastic place. ”

The railway, which runs between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster, suffered more than £2.5 million worth of damage in June and July’s floods.

Mr McFadden met businessmen that also suffered from flood damage at the Severn Centre in Highley.

He then went on to visit Highley Station – the scene of one of the most serious “washaways” on the line.

Currently 12 miles of the 16-mile railway remain closed, with trains only operating between Kidderminster and Bewdley. Passenger services are unlikely to be resumed between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster before February.

The minister’s visit focused on tourism operators and the problems they have faced following the floods.

At Highley Station Mr McFadden, the Labour MP for Wolverhampton South East, said: “There has been a lot of flood damage which we can see at Highley Station, but it is very much open for custom. The West Midlands needs the continuing support of both local people and visitors from further afield.

“Tourism is a vital component of the regional economy.”