Step into the world of yesteryear with a nostalgic steam train trip down memory lane. From the Lake District and the North Yorkshire moors to Welsh hills and the Kent seaside, here are the most remarkable steam and diesel train lines in Britain.
Best steam train experiences in UK
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is surely the grandaddy of all scenic train journeys - not just steam. It runs from Glasgow, by Loch Lomond, via Fort William and along the island-studded coastline to the fishing port of Mallaig. It’s simply superb and can be enjoyed on a standard train, but board a vintage steam train for the final leg to Mallaig and it takes on a different, magical dimension.
Harry Potter and his friends know it well from their journeys to Hogwarts – this section of the line features in the much-loved films. Boring old Muggles will delight in discovering it, too.
The 84-mile steam round-trip from Ben Nevis to Loch Nevis is one of the world’s most exciting steam train trips.
Look right after pulling out of from the station for the top of the whale-backed Ben Nevis. Shortly after, you’ll chug past the cascading flight of canal locks known as Neptune’s Staircase as The Jacobite slowly crosses the bridge over the Caledonian Canal at Banavie, where it meets the saltwater Loch Linnhe. The highlight though has to be crossing of the 300m (1,000ft) long Glenfinnan Viaduct with its 21 arches.
Severn Valley Railway Line
Like so many rural services, the Severn Valley Railway Line has a history full of stops and starts. Now maintained by hundreds of volunteers, it’s the best way to follow the River Severn through its beautiful and practically road-free valley.
The Beeching rationalisation saw the line close in the 1960s, but budding enthusiasts banded together to reopen passenger services from Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade in 1970, before extending the line to Kidderminster in 1984. For a for a jam-packed double rail experience, catch the steam train to Hampton Loade, and then wander back to Bridgnorth along the River Severn on foot, to the Bridgnorth Cliff Railway. Find out more svr.co.uk.
Peak Rail
Visiting the Derbyshire Dales can be a little like stepping back in time to a more peaceful, rural way of life. With Peak Rail you can take that one step further, experiencing the bygone age of travel by trundling through on a steam train.
This four-mile stretch of railway used to form part of the Midland Railway Line between Manchester and London St Pancras up until 1968. These days the preserved line, which extends from Matlock to Rowsley South via Darley Dale, plays host to visitors and tourists looking to recapture something of the golden age of transport. Find out more at peakrail.co.uk.
Bluebell Railway
We often long for the elegant approach to travel from decades gone by and the Bluebell Railway in Sussex has it by the brass bucket-load. There's no flashing buttons or ‘mind the gap’ announcement, but a solid, deeply polished wooden door and Inside, the small compartment looks like a film set. The seats are high and upholstered, and among luggage racks, brass knobs and beautifully typeset signs there is plenty of leg room.
The Bluebell Railway travels through 11 miles of glorious Sussex countryside between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead, stopping at Horsted Keynes and Kingscote. Find out more bluebell-railway.com.
Ffestiniog and Welsh Highlands
The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highlands Railways covers around 28 miles of lines in hills in Gwynedd, north Wales, linking the small town of Blaenau Ffestiniog with Porthmadog and Caernarfon on the coast. It was built to move slate from quarries to ships on the Irish Sea, using steam locos from 1863, and is the world’s oldest narrow-gauge railway. Find out more festrail.co.uk.
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
It may be a mere five miles long, but the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in West Yorkshire packs a literary punch. This was where the 1970 film of The Railway Children, Edith Nesbit’s charming 1905 novel, was shot. Hop off at Haworth to visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum, where the literary Brontë sisters – Charlotte, Emily and Anne – so famously lived. Find out more kwvr.co.uk.
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Covering 24 undulating miles between the North Sea resort of Whitby and the town of Pickering, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway operates regular rides pulled by classic steam and diesel locos. Between Whitby and Grosmont you follow the Esk Valley mainline, before taking dedicated tracks to Pickering saved by enthusiasts in 1973. The route passes silver birch woodland and bracken-clad terrain. Find out more nymr.co.uk.
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
Once used to transport iron ore, Cumbria’s Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway twists for seven miles into the fells from Ravenglass on the coast to the village of Dalgarth, where you can enjoy platform views of Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain (978m). It’s a glorious ride, with steam from the locos trailing beside the creaky carriages. Find out more ravenglass-railway.co.uk.
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West Somerset Railway
Weaving for 22 miles from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead, the West Somerset Railway negotiates rolling hills and pleasant countryside before skirting the Bristol Channel and coming to a halt at its Minehead terminus by the sea. After closing in 1971, it fully reopened as a heritage line in 1979, pulling retro wood-panelled carriages. Find out more west-somerset-railway.co.uk.
Swanage Railway
From Norden to Swanage in Dorset may only be six miles, but what a view as you pass the jagged 11th-century ruins of Corfe Castle. Buzzards sometimes soar above; on early morning rides you may be lucky enough to spot deer. The old stations, especially Corfe Castle’s, are wonderfully preserved, with fireplaces, brass fittings and vintage railway posters. Find out more swanagerailway.co.uk.
Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway
There’s something magical about the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway as it chugs along narrow-gauge tracks pulled by toy-train-style shiny locos before emerging into the shingle landscape of Dungeness, with the hulking shape of the former nuclear power station ahead. It covers 13.5 miles and was opened in 1927 by a millionaire who liked steam trains. Find out more rhdr.org.uk.
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