Severn Valley Railway recorded the best figures in its 40-year history last month when it carried 43,000 passengers on the line.

SVR general manager Nick Ralls said the bumper monthly figure had clawed back a big proportion of losses suffered by a slow start to the season.

The record-breaking August was buoyed by a particularly busy bank holiday when almost 6,000 visitors took advantage of the railway’s Seaside Special Weekend.

An “instant beach” was created at Arley Station specially for the event, along with donkey rides and Punch and Judy shows.

Mr Ralls said with visitor attractions throughout the West Midlands still being hit by the effects of recession, trade was reported to be down by an average of 15 per cent this year.

He said, however, that operators of the 16-mile Kidderminster to Bridgnorth heritage railway were “well satisfied” with projections that final passenger figures would be around the 230,000 mark, some nine per cent down.

The SVR’s best-ever year was 2005, when 252,000 passengers were carried.

Mr Ralls attributed television advertising and the railway’s Kids for a Quid promotion as key elements of the August all-time passenger record.

He added: “They have helped us to climb back to a position of respectability.

“Our season got off to a rather muted start because the line into Bridgnorth was closed for essential track maintenance and repairs at Hampton Loade in January and February and on some days passenger figures were less than half of the norm.

“That, coupled to the recessionary effects still being felt throughout the leisure and tourism industry, knocked us back.

“The Kids for a Quid promotion, which we have extended up until this Sunday, has, however, been a real hit with families and television advertising, an area we have only rarely been into before, have brought us right back on track.

“If we continue to perform at the present level we’re on target for around 230,000 passengers this year, and we would be very happy with that.

“Things are looking a lot rosier than they were just a month ago.”

The railway is also upbeat about visitor numbers at its £5 million Engine House visitor centre at Highley.

Around 18,000 people saw the interactive displays and locomotive and rolling stock collection there in August, accounting for almost half of all passengers.

Mr Ralls described the figures as “very, very encouraging”.

By Simon Hardy