Shropshire’s Severn Valley Railway will not stop off in Bridgnorth on weekends this month, it was revealed today.

Bosses said they were taking advantage of the traditional November lull to carry out a programme of track renewals at the northern end of the line.

It is hoped the work will be finished in time for the start of the Santa Special trains in December.

During the coming month sections of existing track at Sterns, between Hampton Loade and Eardington, will be lifted and replaced.

A drainage culvert beneath the line at Hampton Loade will also be rebuilt and points at Arley station will be replaced.

The work is part of a £150,000 commitment from railway bosses to re-lay at least half a mile of rail, sleepers and ballast each year on the 16-mile line from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth.

Phil Sowden, Severn Valley Railway chief engineer, said: “We will be re-laying short lengths of track in a number of areas north of Highley while we have the opportunity.”

During the re-laying, weekend steam train services will run between Kidderminster, Bewdley, Arley and Highley only.

Departures from Kidderminster during November weekends will be at 10.25am, 11.30am, noon (Sundays only), 12.35pm, 1.40pm, 2.15pm and 3.20pm, and from Highley at 11.18am, 12.23pm, 12.55pm (Sundays only), 1.28pm, 2.33pm, 3.08pm and 4.08pm.

Passengers who buy tickets for the full return journey between Kidderminster and Highley will also be able to gain free admission to the railway’s Engine House Visitor Centre at Highley.

Meanwhile ticket sales for the Severn Valley Railway’s Santa Specials in December have been racing ahead, thanks to the online booking facility introduced this year.

With a month to go before the first Santa trains run on December 4, the railway has reported that 16 trains are already full with limited availability on 10 others.

The Santa Specials run from Kidderminster to Santa’s Grotto at Arley on December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19 and on Christmas Eve, with the first trains starting at 9.45am each day.