Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC The official page for Churnet Valley Railway – a volunteer-run heritage railway celebrating classic steam trains and vintage travel.
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Bookings now open for THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride 2026: churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/polar-express-train-ride Though the enthusiasm and dedication of the line's volunteers, the Churnet Valley Railway is able to take you on a journey back to the classic days of railway travel, along a rural line that passes through beautiful countryside known locally as Staffordshire's "Little Switzerland". The pic

turesque stations of Kingsley & Froghall, Consall and Cheddleton all offer lots of interesting things to see & do, with a complete range of visitor facilities, and there's plenty more to look out for along the way. In addition to the 11-mile return journey along the Churnet Valley, there's a taste of contrasting moorland scenery up the steeply graded Cauldon Branch which presently offers an additional 9-mile round trip to Ipstones Loop.

Recruitment: Freelance Social Media Content CreatorThe Churnet Valley Railway, one of Staffordshire's leading tourist at...
07/06/2026

Recruitment: Freelance Social Media Content Creator

The Churnet Valley Railway, one of Staffordshire's leading tourist attractions, invites applications for the position of Freelance Social Media Content Creator.

Operating a range of heritage railway services and events throughout the year, the railway welcomes thousands of visitors annually and is seeking an individual to help showcase the people, projects and operations that make the organisation unique.

Key Details:

Hours: Approximately 8–10 hours per week (Flexible inc weekends)
Contract Type: Self-Employed / Freelance
Location: Across the Churnet Valley Railway network (Staffordshire Moorlands)
Pay: Dependent on experience and portfolio

About the Role:

The successful applicant will be responsible for developing and creating engaging content across the railway's social media platforms. Whilst supporting the promotion of events and ticket sales, the primary focus of the role is to tell the stories behind the railway, highlighting the people, skills and dedication involved in preserving and operating a heritage railway.

The role requires a proactive approach, seeking out stories and content opportunities from across the organisation. This will involve spending time with volunteers and staff from a wide range of departments, including station teams, locomotive crews, signalling staff, workshop personnel and the Permanent Way department.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Create content for Social Media sites such as Facebook and TikTok
• Produce photography and short-form video content
• Edit and publish content across social media platforms
• Develop engaging behind-the-scenes content
• Build relationships with volunteers, staff and department managers
• Identify and promote stories from across the railway
• Attend railway operating days and events to capture content
• Support the promotion of events, experiences and ticket sales
• Contribute to the continued growth of the railway's social media presence

Requirement:

• Experience creating content for Facebook, Instagram and TikTok
• Strong photography skills
• Experience producing and editing short-form video content
• Ability to work independently and manage workloads effectively
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Outgoing and approachable manner
• Creative mindset with strong attention to detail
• Full driving licence and access to own transport

How to Apply:

Please send your CV together with examples of relevant work or a portfolio to:

[email protected]

It’s been all hands on deck lately, and those of you who’ve visited since February will know we’ve been busy behind the ...
06/06/2026

It’s been all hands on deck lately, and those of you who’ve visited since February will know we’ve been busy behind the scenes. At Froghall, the toilets have been revitalised—we’ve doubled capacity in both the male and female toilets, and increased the capabilities of the accessible toilets. They reopened a couple of weeks ago; we’re just waiting on a few final deliveries, but otherwise we are happy!

There have also been big improvements at Froghall and Cheddleton with newly resurfaced car parks. With more visitors coming through, car park organisation is a big focus, and we’re always looking for more volunteers to help keep things running smoothly.

Clare and Richard are doing a superb job bringing new volunteers into the department and getting them settled quickly. If you think you might be interested, get in touch—the team will happily talk you through opportunities across our stations, whether you’d like to be front of house or helping behind the scenes.

Huge thanks to everyone pitching in, especially our volunteers and Tea Room staff.

🚂✨ After two months of hard work from start to finish, Diana is now back in service and looking absolutely fantastic ahe...
03/06/2026

🚂✨ After two months of hard work from start to finish, Diana is now back in service and looking absolutely fantastic ahead of the busy season at Churnet Valley Railway!

Our dedicated Carriage & Wagon volunteers have spent countless hours transforming the coach both inside and out. The work has included sanding, repainting and revarnishing throughout, with the exterior receiving two full undercoats, two gloss coats and three coats of varnish, while the roof alone was painted four separate times to achieve the finished result. Inside, volunteers have refreshed the woodwork, fitted new lighting, deep cleaned carpets and tables, refurbished the toilets and carried out mechanical work underneath the coach to ensure everything is ready for passengers once again. Inspired by the classic Pullman style of the famous *Topaz* coach at the National Railway Museum, the finished look brings a real touch of vintage luxury to the railway.

A huge thank you goes to every volunteer and member of staff who helped bring Diana back to life. Whether it’s painting, engineering, cleaning, woodworking or simply lending a hand, projects like this are only possible thanks to people giving up their spare time to preserve our railway for future generations. If you’ve ever thought about volunteering with us, we’d love to welcome you along — no experience needed! 🚂🙌

More information about Diana’s restoration can be found on our news page below:

[LINK]

29/05/2026

🚂🌟 We're hiring for The Polar Express! 🌟🚂

We're looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our Technical Team during this year's Polar Express operation and help ensure the magic happens every day!

While a background in theatrical sound, lighting, or live events would be a huge advantage, it's not essential. What we're really looking for are people who are:

✅ Motivated and reliable
✅ Happy to work long but rewarding days
✅ Able to follow instructions and work as part of a team
✅ Keen to learn and get involved behind the scenes

This is a paid position and offers a fantastic opportunity to be part of one of the most magical events of the year, helping to deliver an unforgettable experience for thousands of passengers.

If you think this could be the role for you, we'd love to hear from you. Please get in touch for more information or to apply by contacting our office : [email protected]

🚂✨ After months of hard work behind the scenes, Nicholas is now complete and our dining train is finally back to full st...
27/05/2026

🚂✨ After months of hard work behind the scenes, Nicholas is now complete and our dining train is finally back to full strength!

Our Carriage & Wagon volunteers have carried out a huge amount of work to bring the coach back to life, from repainting and varnishing to interior finishing, bogie work and brake adjustments underneath the vehicle. Inside, the coach has received a full refresh with restored woodwork, deep cleaned fittings and a beautifully warm Pullman-inspired finish influenced by the famous *Topaz* coach at the National Railway Museum. You may notice many similarities to the recently completed Diana — and that’s because both coaches have received the same level of care and attention as part of our commitment to maintaining the high standards passengers have come to expect from CVR. Seeing the full dining set back together again has made all the hard work worthwhile.

A massive thank you must go to every volunteer and member of staff who has supported the project, stuck with it through delays and given up their spare time to help get Nicholas back into service. It’s this dedication that keeps our heritage fleet looking its very best for visitors to enjoy.

If you’d like to get involved and help preserve railway heritage for future generations, we’re always happy to welcome new volunteers — no previous experience needed! 🚂🙌

26/05/2026

***Service Update - 27th May 2026***

Please note that the 10:30 service from Froghall and all intermediate stations on the 27th May 2026 is now fully booked. We therefore will not be able to sell tickets on the day for this service.

Customers wishing to buy tickets on the day are advised to travel on the 13:30 service instead, where availability remains.

🚂✨ After months of hard work, late nights and plenty of determination, RK 80030 was successfully returned to service in ...
20/05/2026

🚂✨ After months of hard work, late nights and plenty of determination, RK 80030 was successfully returned to service in time for the start of the season — and what a week it was for our Carriage & Wagon team!

In the final push towards completion, volunteers rebuilt the bogies, completed multiple coats of varnish, carried out extensive repainting and finished mechanical rebuild work underneath the coach in some very challenging weather conditions in January. Following test runs to Froghall and Consall, faults identified during testing were quickly rectified before the coach was finally passed fit for service ready for its first dining customers of the year.

Meanwhile, ongoing refurbishment work has continued across the dining set, with volunteers continuing to transform the fleet through repainting, varnishing, interior restoration and mechanical attention behind the scenes as we work to maintain the high standards expected from CVR dining experiences.

A huge thank you must go to every volunteer and member of staff who has supported these projects over recent months. From painting and engineering to cleaning, woodworking and mechanical repairs, every contribution has helped ensure our dining train fleet is ready for another successful season.

If you’d like to get involved with projects like this, we’re always happy to welcome new volunteers — whatever your experience level, there’s always a job for everyone at CVR 🚂❤️

Find out more about the work taken place on the coach: https://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/news/kitchen-coach-rk-80030-returns-to-service-following-extensive-restoration-work

Find out about volunteering at: https://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/volunteeringhttps://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/volunteering

🚂🍽️ The transformation of our unique RK 80030 Kitchen Coach.What makes RK 80030 particularly special is that it is belie...
13/05/2026

🚂🍽️ The transformation of our unique RK 80030 Kitchen Coach.

What makes RK 80030 particularly special is that it is believed to be the only surviving original full kitchen coach of its type in the country still retaining its original layout and purpose. That makes preserving and restoring it even more important for the future of heritage dining trains in the UK.

Over recent months, our Carriage & Wagon volunteers have been hard at work carrying out a huge amount of restoration and refresh work throughout the vehicle. Externally, the coach has received extensive sanding, repainting, lining and varnishing, with fresh signwriting now reapplied to really bring the vehicle back to life. New glazing has also been fitted, alongside refurbished doors, trims and door jambs, while underneath the coach the bogies have been overhauled with replacement springs, new brake blocks and fresh paint throughout.

Inside the RK, the transformation has been just as dramatic. Timber trims and pelmets have been removed, stripped back and revarnished, while repainting throughout the coach has helped brighten and refresh the interior ready for another busy season of dining trains. The amount of work completed behind the scenes by our volunteers has been nothing short of incredible.

As always, none of this would be possible without the support and dedication of our volunteers and staff, many of whom have given up evenings and weekends to help keep our historic dining train fleet operating to the high standards expected at CVR 🚂🙌

More details about the work carried out on RK 80030 can be found here:

https://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/news/kitchen-coach-rk-80030-returns-to-service-following-extensive-restoration-work

🚂🔎 Murder, mystery and a touch of railway glamour… Saturday evening saw the first Murder Mystery Dining Train of the 202...
11/05/2026

🚂🔎 Murder, mystery and a touch of railway glamour… Saturday evening saw the first Murder Mystery Dining Train of the 2026 season depart from Froghall — and what a way to begin! Guests stepped back in time aboard our beautifully restored dining set as the fully reunited Nicholas, Kitchen Coach and Diana entered service together for the very first time since 2025 following their midterm refurbish.

With steam in the air, suspects around every corner and plenty of twists along the way, passengers enjoyed an unforgettable evening of fine dining and theatrical intrigue in the heart of the Churnet Valley. A huge thank you goes to our volunteers, catering team, performers and everyone involved in bringing this special launch night to life — we can’t wait to do it all again! 🚂✨

The next available date for Murder Mystery is the 28th August. "The Birthday Line" (1978) - A milestone birthday. A heritage dining train. A carefully planned toast.

23/04/2026

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝟐𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐋 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 & 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐨𝐧 𝟐6𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐋 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Following the derailment on Saturday 18 April, the safety of our passengers, staff and volunteers remains our absolute priority. We would like to take this opportunity to recognise and sincerely thank our voluntary and paid staff for the tremendous effort, dedication and many hours they have contributed in response to this incident. Their professionalism and commitment, working alongside partner agencies, has been instrumental in supporting both the investigation and the safe recovery of the vehicles involved. We are also grateful for the support received from across the heritage railway sector and the wider rail industry, including specialist re-railing teams whose prompt and effective response drew on extensive experience of recovery operations. We further extend our thanks to our industry partners and insurers for their continued support and technical input throughout.

The investigation has confirmed that this incident was not caused by any single factor. Instead, it resulted from a combination of multiple, minor and otherwise manageable elements aligning in a particular set of circumstances. This type of occurrence, sometimes described as the “Swiss cheese model”, is recognised across safety-critical industries. No individual issue has been identified that, in isolation, would have led to a derailment, and there is no single point of failure to attribute.

Track repairs resulting from the derailment have been completed, with final measurements and inspections being undertaken to support the safe resumption of services.

The locomotive involved had operated successfully over the same section of railway on numerous occasions during testing and commissioning. The findings of the investigation do not point to any single vehicle, infrastructure or operational factor, and there is no evidence to suggest that this incident was attributable to any one particular element of the train.

The railway will reopen for private charter services on Saturday, with a full return to public services on Sunday, following completion of all final checks and preparations.

We would like to extend our sincere apologies to all customers affected by this disruption. We appreciate your understanding that it is essential to fully investigate and address any incident before reopening, and we thank you for your continued support.

Address

A52
Froghall
ST102HA

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