Heritage Railways

Heritage railways (sometimes called Preserved railways) are hugely popular. Over 6 million people a year visit those in the UK alone and there are dozens more throughout Europe, the USA and other countries worldwide. We plan to bring you information on many of them – a huge task but we're up to it ! Details will be on this site shortly. If you want to contribute your thoughts on any heritage railways you have visited, just get in touch. There is a complete list of UK heritage railways on the following website – www.heritagerailways.com – we have only a tiny selection below.

The Severn Valley railway is generally considered to be the largest in the UK. It is a full-size standard-gauge railway line running regular steam-hauled passenger trains between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth in Shropshire, a distance of 16 miles. Enthusiasts can wander around the engine depot at Bridgnorth; there are special catering trains and many special events throughout the year, making it an ideal day out for everyone. The SVR has been seen in many films.

The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border of East and West Sussex. Steam trains are operated between Sheffield Park and Kingscote, with an intermediate station at Horsted Keynes. It has the largest collection of steam locomotives after the National Railway Museum and a collection of carriages and wagons unrivalled in the south of England. The Bluebell Railway was the first preserved standard gauge steam-operated passenger railway in the world: it opened in 1960, shortly after the line from East Grinstead to Lewes had been closed by British Railways. It also preserved a number of steam locomotives even before the cessation of steam service on British mainline railways in 1968.

The Watercress Line is the marketing name of the Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage line in Hampshire, running ten miles from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the national rail network. The line gained its popular name in the days when it was used (as part of the national rail network) to transport locally grown watercress to markets in London.

The Great Central Railway (GCR) was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension. In 1922 it was grouped into the London and North Eastern Railway. Today, small sections of the main line in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire are preserved. Trains run every weekend of the year, bank holidays and daily in the summer. In addition, First Class Restaurant Car Services provide 4 or 6 course meals whilst travelling between Loughborough and Leicester; childhood dreams can come true with a Drive a Train Experience and there are also a number of family events, including “Days Out with Thomas the Tank Engine”, Bonfire Night and Santa Specials.

The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway is a 15 in (381 mm) gauge light railway in Kent, England. The 13½ mile (23 km) line runs from the Cinque Port of Hythe via Dymchurch, St. Mary's Bay, New Romney and Romney Sands to Dungeness, close to Dungeness power station and Dungeness lighthouse. Constructed during the 1920s and opened in 1927, the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway was the dream of millionaire racing drivers Captain J.E.P. Howey and Count Louis Zborowski. Zborowski was killed in a motor racing accident at Monza before the Romney Marsh site was chosen, and Howey continued the project alone.

The Kent & East Sussex Railway is the country's finest example of a rural light railway. The line gently wends its way from Tenterden - "The Jewel of The Weald" for ten and a half miles through the unspoilt countryside of the Rother Valley, to terminate in the shadow of the magnificent National Trust castle at Bodiam.

The East Somerset Railway is a 2.5 miles (4 km) heritage railway in Somerset, running between Cranmore and Mendip Vale. Prior to the Beeching Axe, the railway ran from Witham to Wells, meeting both the Cheddar Valley line and Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway at the latter station.

The 18-mile (29 km) North Yorkshire Moors railway is the second-longest heritage line in the UK and runs across the North York Moors from Pickering via Levisham, Newton Dale and Goathland to Grosmont. It is the middle section of the former Whitby, Pickering and Malton line which was closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching cuts. Trains run every day from the beginning of April until the end of October, plus selected dates through the winter. Trains are mostly steam-hauled; however in some cases heritage diesel is used. At the height of the running timetable, trains depart hourly from each station. As well as the normal passenger running, there are dining services on some evenings and weekends. The recent extension of steam operated services to the seaside town of Whitby have proved extremely popular. The NYMR has proved to be one of the UK’s most popular heritage attractions, drawing well over 300,000 visitors per year.