I FAIL to see why there is this blind euphoric pleasure being shown for the fact that Severn Valley Railway have swallowed up £3.55 million of mainly taxpayers money with no benefit at all to those taxpayers.
As far as I can see the only people to benefit were the contractors paid to do the work. Surely the funds made by Advantage West Midlands and the European Development Fund are for just that purpose - development and aiding the West Midlands.
SVR employs few people. Only a select few receive salaries with the majority of the work being done by volunteers.
How many jobs have been created with this £3.5m spend? Who will benefit other than those few paid workers? The town? Me or my family? I think not.
Anyone visiting SVR arrives by train or car, goes on the train ride to Bridgnorth and back, then gets back in their car or train and leaves. Do those visiting really swarm down into the town and spend money?
It was doubly interesting to hear comments made on Smooth radio during the re-opening interview where an SVR official called those interested in the SVR "anoraks".
It seems these anoraks have had £3.5m spent on them so no wonder they are happy. Maybe the shareholders of this club' should have funded the repairs rather than the taxpayer.
As a taxpayer this is not the sort of thing I want my money wasted on.
B NOCK Kidderminster
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