THE Severn Valley Railway has been "high and dry" during the floods.

In fact it has been advertising better riverside vistas than ever.

Marketing manager John Leach said the worst floods for 50 years may have brought Bewdley to a standstill but it was business as usual on the 16-mile Kidderminster to Bridgnorth line.

He said: "We have been deluged not by water but by callers asking if the railway is open. The message is no - we're not closed. It's business as usual. In fact with so much of the river in flood, it's an even more interesting train ride than it normally is.

"The view at Victoria Bridge, for example, where the railway crosses the river is awesome."

The only snag for SVR came when a 120ft section of track near Bridgnorth was washed away.

Trains for the next two weeks are being rescheduled but Santa train services due to start on Saturday, December 2, are not expected to be affected.