Public railways in the UK
We welcome information on all railways from 8″ to 12 1/2″ gauge, especially any not listed below. Please get in touch with additions and amendments.
It is well worth visiting the public railways listed; each has a different feel and often serve very different purposes. You can use the search box above the table to find a particular railway and you can click on each column title to list the railways in the manner that best suits you.
There are additional private railways that have open days, usually to raise funds for a charity, and details of such open days will appear on this site in the News section when we receive details.
| Line | Location | Length | Description | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audley End Miniature Railway | Audley End Road Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 4JB | One mile | 10 1/4" Located adjacent to stately home | audley-end-railway.co.uk |
| Beale Park Railway | Beale Park, Pangbourne, Berkshire RG8 9NH | 1,100 yards | 10 1/4" Located within a zoo / park. | www.bealepark.co.uk |
| Bickington Steam Railway | Trago Mills Shopping & Leisure Centre, Liverton, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 6J | 1 1/4 miles | 10 1/4" Located at shopping centre village | www.trago.co.uk |
| Bressingham Steam Railway | Bressingham Steam Experience, Thetford Road, Bressingham, Norfolk IP22 2AB | 680 yards | Railway museum with 10 1/4", 15", 24", 4' 8.1/2" | Website |
| Buxton Miniature Railway | Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, Derbyshire | 320 yards | 12¼” Park railway | www.paviliongardens.co.uk |
| Chichester & District SME | Bognor Road, Chichester. West Sussex | 245 yards | Model engineers mixed gauge 10 1/4" and 7 1/4" plus 5", 3 1/2" | cdsme.co.uk |
| Craigiemains Garden Centre Railway | Craigiemains Garden Centre, Ballantrae, South Ayrshire, Scotland | 300 yards | 10 1/4" Garden centre railway | www.craigiemainshomeandgardencentre.com |
| Delamont Miniature Railway | Delamont Country Park, Mullagh, Killyleagh, County Down, N.Ireland | 1,000 yards | 10 1/4" Country Park Railway | www.newrymournedown.org/areas-of-outstanding-natural-beauty |
| Downs Light Railway | Colwall, Malvern, Herefordshire | 3/4 mile | 9 1/2" School Railway with occasional open day | www.dlrtrust.btck.co.uk |
| Eastleigh Lakeside Railway | Lakeside Country Park, Wide Lane, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 5PE | 1 1/2 miles | Park railway, mixed gauge 10 1/4" and 7 1/4" | steamtrain.co.uk |
| Exbury Garden Steam Railway | Exbury Gardens, Exbury Southampton. Hampshire SO45 1AZ | 1 1/4 miles | 12 1/4" Means of transport around gardens | Railway page on the website |
| Fairbourne Railway | Beach Road, Fairbourne, Gwynedd, Wales LL38 2EX | 1 3/4 miles | 12 1/4" Extensive seaside railway | fairbournerailway.com |
| Faversham Miniature Railway | Brogdale Farm Brogdale Road Faversham, Kent ME13 8XZ | 900 yards | 9" Unique garden railway | favershamminiaturerailway.co.uk |
| Ferry Meadows Railway | Nene Park, Ham Lane Peterborough. Cambridgeshire PE2 5UU | 700 yards | 10 1/4" Means of transport / Added Attraction | ferrymeadowsrailway.co.uk |
| Four Kingdoms Adventure Park | Headley, Newbury, Hampshire | 450 yards | 10 1/4" Located within a theme park | www.4-kingdoms.co.uk |
| Garw Valley Miniature Railway | Pontycymer, Bridgend, Wales | 100 yards | 10 1/4" | www.garwvalleyrailway.co.uk |
| Gypsy Wood Railway | Bontnewydd, Caernarfon, Wales | 350 yards | 10 1/4" Theme park railway | www.garwvalleyrailway.co.uk |
| Hall Leys Miniature Railway | Hall Leys Park Crown Square Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3AT | 200 yards | 9 1/2" | www.matlockboatsandtrain.co.uk |
| Happy Mount Express | Happy Mount Park, Marine Road East, Morecombe, Lancashire LA4 5AQ | 200 yards | 10 1/4" Park railway | happymountpark.co.uk |
| Hastings Miniature Railway | Rock a Nore Road, Hastings, East Sussex TN34 3DW | 600 yards | 10 1/4" Seaside railway | hastingsminiaturerailway.co.uk |
| Highland Light Railway | Mill of Logierait, Ballinluig, Pitlochry, Perth & Kinross, Scotland | 1,000 yards | 10 1/4" | www.railwayfarm.co.uk |
| Hotham Park Railway | Hotham Park, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 1HN | 900 yards | 12 1/4" Park railway | hothamparkrailway.co.uk |
| Ingfield Light Railway | Ingfield Manor School, Five Oaks, Billingshurst, West Sussex | 700 yards | 10 1/4" School railway – advertised open days | www.ingfieldlightrailway.co.uk |
| Kerr's Miniature Railway | West Links Park, Arbroath, Angus, Scotland | 350 yards | 10 1/4" Seaside Attraction | kerrsminiaturerailway.co.uk |
| Kirkby Green Miniature Railway | Scopwick, Metheringham, Lincolnshire | 1,600 yards | 10 1/4" Private railway with advertised open days | watermillfarm.net/KGLR |
| Lakeshore Railroad | South Marine Park, South Shields, Tyne & Wear NE33 2PE | 555 yards | 9 1/2" Park railway | www.lakeshorerailroad.co.uk |
| Lappa Valley Railway (Newlyn Branch Line) | Lappa Valley Steam Railway Newlyn East, Newquay, Cornwall TR8 5LX | 700 yards | 10 1/4" | Website |
| Leek & Rudyard Railway | Rudyard Station Rudyard Road, Rudyard Nr Leek, Staffordshire ST13 8PF | 1 1/4 miles | 10 1/4" within country park | www.leekandrudyardrailway.com |
| Littlehampton Miniature Railway | Mewsbrook Park, Littlehampton Sussex BN16 2NB | 800 yards | 12 1/4" Seaside railway | www.littlehamptonrailway.co.uk |
| Melton Mowbray Miniature Railway | Wilton Park, Leicester Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 0DA | 480 yards | Park railway | Website |
| Mid Hants Miniature Railway | The Mid Hants Railway, Station Road, Ropley Hampshire SO24 0BL | 370 yards | 10 1/4" Field railway alongside 4' 8 1/2" Watercress Line | watercressline.co.uk |
| Newby Hall Miniature Railway | Newby Hall Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 5AE | 1,000 yards | Park railway | newbyhallandgardens.com |
| Paignton Zoo, Jungle Express | Paignton Zoo Totnes Road Paignton, Devon TQ4 7EU | 520 yards | 10 1/4" Zoo railway | Website |
| Pavenham Miniature Railway | Bartlemas Farm, Pavenham, Bedfordshire | 200 yards | 9 1/2" Private garden railway open for annual ‘Open Garden’ event only | |
| Pettitts Animal Park Miniature Railway | Pettitts Animal Adventure Park, Church Road, Reedham, Norfolk, NR13 3UA | 480 yards | 10 1 /4" Zoo railway | pettittsadventurepark.co.uk |
| Poole Park Miniature Railway | Poole Park, Parkstone Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 2SF | 660 yards | 10 1/4" Country park railway | pooleparktrailway.org |
| Puxton Park Railway | Hewish, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset | 400 yards | 10 1/4" Theme park railway | www.puxton.co.uk |
| Queens Park Miniature Railway | Boythorpe Road, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 2ND | 530 yards | 10 1/4" Park railway | www.chesterfield.gov.uk |
| Rex Express | Paradise Wildlife Park, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire | 300 yards | 10 1/4" Zoo railway | www.pwpark.com |
| Rio Grande Railway | Lodmoor Country Park, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 7SX | 550 yards | 10 1/4" Country park railway | www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/countryside-coast-parks/country-parks-and-visitor-centres/lodmoor-country-park-facilities-and-features.aspx |
| Royal Victoria Railway | Royal Victoria Country Park, Netley, Southampton. Hampshire SO31 5GA | 1,000 yards | 10 1/4" Country park railway | royalvictoriarailway.co.uk |
| Ruislip Lido Railway | Reservoir Road, Ruislip, Hillingdon, HA4 7TY | 1 1/4 miles | 12" Country park railway | ruisliplidorailway.org |
| Shibden Hall Miniature Railway | Shibden Park, Listers Road, Halifax, Calderdale, Yorkshire HX3 6XG | 750 yards | 10 1/4" Park railway | www.calderdale.gov.uk |
| South Downs Light Railway | Pulborough Garden Centre, Stopham Road, Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 1DS | 1,100 yards | 10 1/4" Garden centre railway | www.south-downs-railway.com |
| St Annes Miniature Railway | St Annes, Lancashire | 680 yards | 10 1/4" Seafront railway | www.stannesminiaturerailway.co.uk |
| Stapleford Miniature Railway | Stapleford Park, nr Melton Mowbray Leicestershire LE14 2SF | 1 1/4" miles | 10 1/4" Private estate railway with advertised open days | fsmr.org.uk |
| Sutton Hall Railway | Tabors Farm, Sutton Hall, Shopland Road, Sutton, Rochford, Essex, SS4 1Lq | 800 yards | 10 1 /4" Private farm railway with open days | |
| Vanstone Miniature Railway | Vanstone Park Garden Centre, Hitchin Road, Codicote, Herts, SG4 8TH | 560 yards | 10 1/4" Garden centre railway | vanstonerailway.co.uk |
| Watford Miniature Railway | Cassiobury Park, Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 7LG | 600 yards | 10 1/4" Country park railway | www.minirail.co.uk |
| Wat Tyler Miniature Railway | Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea Hall Lane, Pitsea, Basildon, Essex SS16 4UH | One mile | 10 1/4" Country park railway | www.wattylercountrypark.org.uk/mini-rail |
| Wellington Country Park Railway | Wellington Country Park, Riseley, Hampshire | 500 yards | 12 1/4" Country park railway | www.wellington-country-park.co.uk |
| Wells & Walsingham Light Railway | Wells Next-the-Sea, Norfolk NR23 1QB | Four miles | 10 1/4" Built on former standard gauge trackbed | wellswalsinghamrailway.co.uk |
| Wells Harbour Railway | Pinewoods, Beach Road, Wells-next-the-sea, Norfolk NR23 1DR | 1,200 yards | 10 1/4" Seafront railway | Website |