THE media interest generated by the visit of Flying Scotsman to the Severn Valley Railway was absolutely immense, writes Neil Gordon,
More than 40 members of the media from television, radio and newspapers attended the re-opening of the line to Bridgnorth on Friday July 25, while the heritage railway’s communication team ran its own operation in preparation for requests for information and interviews on the event.
The SVR’s head of communications, Lesley Carr, said: “The extent of media interest has been huge. We had journalists and photographers at Kidderminster and Bridgnorth, everywhere in between and on the reopening train itself.
“Undoubtedly, having such an iconic locomotive as Flying Scotsman to haul our first full-line service of the season was a public relations coup, and it’s helped to generate lots of coverage for us.”
Early morning coverage of the day began with radio stations BBC Hereford and Worcester, and BBC Shropshire, simultaneously broadcasting their own live, four-hour long, breakfast shows from 6am at Kidderminster and Bridgnorth stations respectively.
While these shows were being broadcast, reporters from BBC and ITV television regional news, plus scores of journalists from local and regional newspapers, magazines and online platforms, were each busily gathering photographs and footage, and interviewing key figures from the railway and contractors involved with the landslip repair works at Mor Brook.
The railway’s communication’s team workload also involved issuing invitations to attend the day to scores of media contacts, as well as issuing four press releases detailing different aspects of the event.
The releases comprised some 1,600 words of content and 39 images and clips of footage.
Lesley added: “I’m still getting enquiries and requests for quotes and images, and I know that there’ll be widespread coverage in the heritage and railway press about our event in the weeks to come, as they all publish monthly.
“It certainly felt like a very positive day for us, and I couldn’t have hoped for it to go better.”
