List of British Heritage and Private Railways

List of British Heritage and Private Railways

This is a list of heritage, private and preserved railways throughout the United Kingdom, the Crown dependencies, and British Overseas Territories whether operational or closed, that are operated for charitable purposes or shareholder profit. Some also provide economic local transport.

Many of the standard-gauge railways listed, including former branch lines and ex-mainline routes, were closed by British Railways under the Beeching Axe of the 1960s. Most have been restored and operate as heritage lines. A smaller number of lines were formerly industrial or colliery railways.

Many of these preserved railways are mentioned in national and international tour guides, and visits may form part of a school curriculum or feature in other studies, including civil engineering, mechanics, social, economic and political history, visual arts and drama.

This list also includes tramways. Nearly all tram services in Britain ended in the 1950s and early 1960s, leaving just Blackpool Corporation Tramways, although some big cities have since revived them in the late 20th century onwards.

British Heritage Railways in England

British Heritage Railways in the East of England

Standard Gauge Heritage Railways in the East of England

Colne Valley Railway, Castle Hedingham, Essex
Epping Ongar Railway, Ongar, Essex
Mid-Norfolk Railway, Dereham, Norfolk
Mid Suffolk Light Railway, Brockford, Suffolk
Nene Valley Railway, Wansford, Cambridgeshire
North Norfolk Railway, Sheringham, Norfolk

Railway Centres and Museums as Heritage Railways in the East of Englnd

Bressingham Steam and Gardens, Diss, Norfolk
East Anglian Railway Museum, Chappel & Wakes Colne Station, Essex
Mangapps Railway Museum, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex
Railworld Wildlife Haven, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
Whitwell & Reepham Railway, Reepham, Norfolk

Narrow Gauge Heritage Railways in the East of England

Bressingham Steam and Gardens, Diss, Norfolk
Great Whipsnade Railway, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire
Leighton Buzzard Light Railway, Bedfordshire
Southend Pier Railway, Southend-on-Sea, Essex
Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills, Essex
Yaxham Light Railway, Norfolk – private site

Miniature Gauge Heritage Railways in the East of England

Audley End Railway, Essex
Bure Valley Railway, Aylsham, Norfolk
Bushey Miniature Railway, Bushey, Hertfordshire
East Herts Miniature Railway, Ware, Hertfordshire
Eaton Park Miniature Railway, Norwich, Norfolk
Fancott Miniature Railway, Bedfordshire
Rex Express, Paradise Wildlife Park, Hertfordshire
Great Woburn Railway, Woburn, Bedfordshire
Museum of Power, Langford, Essex
Wells & Walsingham Light Railway, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk

Tramways as Heritage Railways in the East of England

East Anglia Transport Museum, Lowestoft, Suffolk

British Heritage Railways in the East Midlands

Standard Gauge Heritage Railways in the East Midlands

Battlefield Line, Shackerstone, Leicestershire
Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Wirksworth, Derbyshire
Great Central Railway, Loughborough, Leicestershire
Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, Ludborough, Lincolnshire
Midland Railway – Butterley, Derbyshire
Mountsorrel Railway, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire
Northampton & Lamport Railway, Pitsford and Brampton, Northamptonshire
Northants Ironstone Railway, Hunsbury Hill, Northamptonshire
Nottingham Heritage Railway, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire
Peak Rail, Matlock, Derbyshire
Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway, Rushden, Northamptonshire

Railway Centres and Museums as Heritage Railways in the East Midlands

Appleby Frodingham Railway, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire
Barrow Hill Railway Centre, Barrow Hill nr Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Nottingham Heritage Railway, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire
Rushden Transport Museum, Northamptonshire
Rutland Railway Museum, Cottesmore, Rutland

Narrow Gauge Heritage Railways in the East Midlands

Billing Aquadrome Miniature Railway, Great Billing, Northamptonshire
Crowle Peatland Railway, Crowle, North Lincolnshire
Derbyshire Dales Narrow Gauge Railway, Rowsley, Derbyshire
Golden Valley Light Railway, Butterley, Derbyshire
Greenlea Light Railway, Burbage, Leicestershire - private site
Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum, Irchester, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway, Skegness, Lincolnshire
Narrow Gauge Railway, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire
North Ings Farm Railway, Lincolnshire
Steeple Grange Light Railway, Wirksworth, Derbyshire
Wicksteed Park Railway, Kettering, Northamptonshire

Miniature Gauge Heritage Railways in the East Midlands

Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, Lincolnshire
Mablethorpe Miniature Railway, Queens Park, Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire
Stapleford Miniature Railway, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

Tramways as Heritage Railways in the East Midlands

National Tramway Museum, Crich, Derbyshire

British Heritage Railways in the North of England

Standard Gauge Heritage Railways in the North of England

Aln Valley Railway, Alnwick, Northumberland
Bowes Railway, Tyne and Wear
Derwent Valley Light Railway, Murton, North Yorkshire
East Lancashire Railway, Bury, Greater Manchester
Eden Valley Railway, Warcop, Cumbria
Elsecar Heritage Railway, South Yorkshire
Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, Embsay, North Yorkshire
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, Haworth, West Yorkshire
Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, Haverthwaite, nr Staveley, Cumbria
Middleton Railway, Hunslet, West Yorkshire
North Tyneside Steam Railway, North Shields, Tyne and Wear
North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Pickering, North Yorkshire
Ribble Steam Railway, Preston, Lancashire
Stainmore Railway, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria
Tanfield Railway, Marley Hill, County Durham
Weardale Railway, Stanhope, County Durham
Wensleydale Railway, Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire
Yorkshire Wolds Railway, Sledmere–Fimber, East Yorkshire

Railway Centres and Museums as Heritage Railways in the North of England

Beamish Museum & Railway Centre, County Durham
Carnforth Railway Centre, Carnforth, Lancashire
Crewe Heritage Centre, Crewe, Cheshire
Head of Steam, Darlington, County Durham
Haig Colliery Mining Museum, Cumbria
Leeds Industrial Museum, Armley, West Yorkshire
Locomotion, Shildon, County Durham
Monkwearmouth Station Museum, Sunderland (closed 2016)
National Railway Museum, York, North Yorkshire
South Yorkshire Transport Museum, Aldwarke, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Stephenson Railway Museum, West Chirton, Tyne and Wear

Narrow Gauge Heritage Railways in the North of England

Eaton Hall Railway, Cheshire – private site
Heatherslaw Light Railway, Northumberland
South Tynedale Railway between Alston, Cumbria and Slaggyford, Northumberland
Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Railway, Cumbria
West Lancashire Light Railway, Hesketh Bank, Lancashire
Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway, Ashington, Northumberland

Miniature Gauge Heritage Railways in the North of England

All in one Miniature Railway, Knutsford nr Allostock, Cheshire
Blackpool Zoo Railway, Blackpool, Lancashire
Brookside Miniature Railway, Poynton, Cheshire
Dragon Miniature Railway, Marple, nr Stockport, Greater Manchester
High Legh Miniature Railway, High Legh, Cheshire
Whistlestop Valley, Clayton West, West Yorkshire
Knowsley Safari Park Railway, Knowsley, Merseyside
Halton Miniature Railway, Runcorn, Cheshire
Lakeside Miniature Railway, Pleasureland Southport, Merseyside
North Bay Railway, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Pleasure Beach Express, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire
Pugneys Light Railway, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, Cumbria
Wirral Model Engineering Society, Royden Park, Wirral, Merseyside
Saltburn Miniature Railway, Saltburn, North Yorkshire
South Park Miniature Railway, Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
Teesside Small Gauge Railway, Preston Park, Stockton-on-Tees
Walton Park Miniature Railway, Sale, Greater Manchester
Windmill Farm Railway, Bursough, Lancashire
Thorpe Light Railway, Whorlton, County Durham

Tramways as Heritage Railways in the North of England

Beamish Museum, County Durham
Bradford Industrial Museum, Eccleshill, (nr Bradford), West Yorkshire
Heaton Park Tramway, Manchester, Greater Manchester
Shipley Glen Tramway, Shipley, West Yorkshire
Wirral Transport Museum and Heritage Tramway, Birkenhead, Merseyside

British Heritage Railways in the South East

Standard Gauge Heritage Railways in the South East

Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park, Sussex
Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, Chinnor, Oxfordshire / Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire
Cholsey & Wallingford Railway, Wallingford, Oxfordshire
East Kent Railway, Shepherdswell, Kent
Isle of Wight Steam Railway, Havenstreet, Isle of Wight
Kent & East Sussex Steam Railway, Tenterden, Kent
Lavender Line, Isfield, East Sussex
Rother Valley Railway, Robertsbridge, East Sussex (land purchases in progress)
Spa Valley Railway, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Watercress Line, New Alresford, Hampshire

Railway Centres and Museums as Heritage Railways in the South East

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Quainton, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
Chatham Historic Dockyard Railway, Kent
Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire
London Transport Museum, Covent Garden, Central London
Southall Railway Centre, Southall, West London

Narrow Gauge Heritage Railways in the South East

Amberley Museum Railway, Amberley, West Sussex
Great Bush Railway, Tinkers Park, Hadlow Down, East Sussex
Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway, near Sittingbourne, Kent
Exbury Gardens Railway, Beaulieu, Hampshire
Hayling Seaside Railway, Hayling Island, Hampshire
Hollycombe Steam Collection, near Liphook, Hampshire
Hythe Pier Ferry Railway, Hampshire
Old Kiln Light Railway, Rural Life Centre, Reeds Road, Tilford, Farnham, Surrey
Hampton & Kempton Waterworks Railway, Hanworth/Hampton, London.
London Museum of Water & Steam, Kew Bridge, Brentford, London
Mail Rail, short section of the former London Post Office Railway opened to public since 2017
Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, Kent
Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway, Kent
Volk's Electric Railway, Brighton, East Sussex

Miniature Gauge Heritage Railways in the South East

Bekonscot Light Railway, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
Blenheim Park Railway, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
Beech Hurst Park Miniature Railway, Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Crowborough Miniature Railway, Crowborough, East Sussex
Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway, Hampshire
Frimley Lodge Park Railway, Surrey
Great Cockcrow Railway, Chertsey, Surrey
Harlington Locomotive Society, Hayes, Middlesex
Hastings Miniature Railway, Hastings Seafront, East Sussex
Ickenham Miniature Railway, Ickenham, London
Malden District Society of Model Engineers, Thames Ditton, Surrey
Moors Valley Railway, near Ringwood, Hampshire
Reading Society of Model Engineers, Reading Berkshire
Royal Victoria Railway, Southampton, Hampshire
Ruislip Lido Railway, Ruislip, London
South Downs Light Railway, Pulborough, West Sussex
Watford Miniature Railway, Cassiobury Park, Watford, Hertfordshire
Woking Miniature Railway, Knaphill, Surrey

British Heritage Railways in the South West

Standard Gauge Heritage Railways in the South West

Avon Valley Railway, Bitton, Gloucestershire
Bodmin & Wenford Railway, Bodmin, Cornwall
Dartmouth Steam Railway, Paignton, Devon
Dean Forest Railway, Norchard, Gloucestershire
East Somerset Railway, Cranmore, Somerset
Helston Railway, Prospidnick, Cornwall
Plym Valley Railway, Marsh Mills, Plympton, Devon
North Dorset Railway, Shillingstone, Dorset
Somerset & Dorset Railway, Midsomer Norton, Somerset
South Devon Railway, Buckfastleigh, Devon
Swanage Railway, Swanage, Dorset
Swindon & Cricklade Railway, Blunsdon, Wiltshire
Tarka Valley Railway, Great Torrington, Devon
West Somerset Railway, Minehead, Somerset

Railway Centres and Museums as Heritage Railways in the South West

Bideford Railway Heritage Centre, Bideford, Devon
Bristol Harbour Railway, Bristol
Steam – Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, Wiltshire
Yeovil Railway Centre, Yeovil, Somerset

Narrow Gauge Heritage Railways in the South West

Bicton Woodland Railway, Devon
Devon Railway Centre, Bickleigh, Devon
Exmoor Steam Railway, Devon – private site
Gartell Light Railway, Templecombe, Somerset
Launceston Steam Railway, Launceston, Cornwall
Lea Bailey Light Railway. Gloucestershire / Herefordshire border
Lynbarn Railway, Devon
Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, Woody Bay, Devon
Morwellham Quay Open Air Museum, Devon
Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum, Somerset

Miniature Gauge Heritage Railways in the South West

Beer Heights Light Railway, Devon
Berkeley Light Railway, Gloucestershire
Exmouth Miniature Railway, Devon
Gorse Blossom Farm Railway, Devon
Lappa Valley Steam Railway, Cornwall
Longleat Railway, Wiltshire
Moors Valley Railway, Ashley Heath, Dorset
Perrygrove Railway, Coleford, Gloucestershire
Bickington Steam Railway, Trago Mills, Devon

Tramways as Heritage Railways in the South West

Seaton Tramway, Seaton, Devon

British Heritage Railways in the West Midlands

Standard Gauge Heritage Railways in the West Midlands

Cambrian Heritage Railways, Oswestry and Llynclys, Shropshire
Chasewater Railway, Chasewater Country Park, Brownhills, Staffordshire
Churnet Valley Railway, Cheddleton, Staffordshire
Foxfield Light Railway, Blythe Bridge, Staffordshire
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, Toddington, Gloucestershire and Broadway, Worcestershire
Severn Valley Railway, Bridgnorth, Shropshire
Telford Steam Railway, Horsehay, Shropshire

Railway Centres and Museums as Heritage Railways in the West Midlands

Coleford Great Western Railway Museum, Coleford, Gloucestershire
Tyseley Railway Centre, Tyseley, Warwickshire
Winchcombe Railway Museum, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire

Narrow Gauge Heritage Railways in the West Midlands

Amerton Railway, Staffordshire
Apedale Valley Light Railway, Chesterton, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire
Bromyard and Linton Light Railway, Bromyard, Herefordshire – private site
Moseley Railway Trust, Chesterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
North Gloucestershire Railway, Toddington, Gloucestershire
Perrygrove Railway, Gloucestershire
Rudyard Lake Steam Railway, Rudyard, Staffordshire
Statfold Barn Railway, Tamworth, Staffordshire – private site

Miniature Gauge Heritage Railways in the West Midlands

Broomy Hill Railway, Herefordshire
Downs Light Railway, Colwall, Worcestershire (also the oldest private miniature railway worldwide)
Echills Wood Railway, Kingsbury Waterpark, Warwickshire
Evesham Vale Light Railway, Evesham Country Park, Worcestershire
Weston Park Railway, Shropshire

Tramways as Heritage Railways in the West Midlands

Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, West Midlands

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