Swanage Railway

Swanage Railway Swanage Railway is a 9 mile heritage railway in Dorset, with services to HX, Corfe Castle & Norden.
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Our Autumn Steam Gala and Preview Day are now less than two weeks away and tickets are available now! 🎟️Join us for our ...
31/08/2026

Our Autumn Steam Gala and Preview Day are now less than two weeks away and tickets are available now! 🎟️

Join us for our fantastic three day event between Friday 11th and Sunday 13th of September and travel behind five different steam locomotives which will be running each day. The lineup includes our resident fleet of locomotives and visiting A1 Class 60163 “Tornado”! 🌪️

Tornado was built in 2008 and was the first steam locomotive to reach 100mph in over 50 years. Thankfully the locomotive will be running at 25mph on our railway, meaning there are plenty of chances to see her up close and in action on the line.

Our Preview Day will take place on Thursday 10th of September and will include a slightly quieter timetable using Battle of Britain Class locomotives “Manston” and “257 Squadron” and U Class 31806.

Tickets are now available from our website and you can take advantage of an early bird discount if booking tickets by Thursday 10th of September. You can also book tickets for our Brake Van Rides between the 11th and 13th at our Gala, as well as the Fish and Chips Special behind Tornado on Sunday 13th.

Visit our website to find out more - https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/view/autumn-steam-gala-1

📸James Taviner, Jamie Groves, Alexander Smith, Sharpthorne Steam and Sam Smith

Tonight is your final chance to travel on our Sunset Shuttle service for 2026, so to celebrate we have decided to run a ...
30/08/2026

Tonight is your final chance to travel on our Sunset Shuttle service for 2026, so to celebrate we have decided to run a top and tailed Class 33 Diesel service using D6515 “Lt Jenny Lewis RN” and 33053!

Take a ride on our comfortable MK1 coaches and enjoy some extra Sulzer mileage as the sun sets over the Isle of Purbeck.

Timetable information and tickets are available rom our website - https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk

📸The Southerner and Ben Dolman

After a fantastic summer aboard our Gin Trains, we thought it was time to mix things up a little… 🥃🚂So this October, we’...
28/08/2026

After a fantastic summer aboard our Gin Trains, we thought it was time to mix things up a little… 🥃🚂

So this October, we’re swapping the gin for RUM!

Join us aboard the Southern Rum Train for a relaxed autumn journey through the Purbeck countryside, sampling three different rums along the way.

🍹 Three rums to taste
🚂 Heritage train journey
🍂 Beautiful autumn views
🍰 A slice of cake to enjoy with your rum

We’re only running a few Rum Trains during October, so there won’t be many chances to join us.

If you enjoyed our Gin Trains this summer, we think you’re going to love this one!

All aboard for rum!

https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/view/autumnal-rum-train

Trains are running on our Yellow timetable this Bank Holiday Weekend, which means the first train departs at 09:50 each ...
28/08/2026

Trains are running on our Yellow timetable this Bank Holiday Weekend, which means the first train departs at 09:50 each morning with a steam and a diesel service running all day. You can also travel on the Sunset Shuttle on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening which will be hauled by our heritage diesel unit.

This weekend the rostered steam locomotive is Battle of Britain Class 34072 “257 Squadron”, an engine which was built in 1948 and is no stranger to working trains in the southern region.

We have a range of diesel locomotives working this weekend including Class 33 D6515 “LT Jenny Lewis RN” on Friday, Class 33 33053 on Saturday and Sunday and then finally Class 20 20066 on Bank Holiday Monday.

Tickets to travel are available on our website or you can purchase them from our ticket offices at Norden, Corfe Castle or Swanage. Visit our website to find out more - https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk

📸Charlie Rogers and Ben Dolman

Memories of our railway in the 1950sLong-term Swanage Railway supporter Paul has shared his memories of travelling on th...
27/08/2026

Memories of our railway in the 1950s

Long-term Swanage Railway supporter Paul has shared his memories of travelling on the line long before it became the heritage railway we know today.

In 1957, aged just 18, Paul travelled from Bournemouth to Swanage and Corfe Castle with his future wife Pat, using a Railway Runabout Ticket costing 15 shillings (75p) for seven days’ unlimited travel. Two years later, the Swanage branch brought them back to Corfe Castle for their honeymoon.

Decades later, they returned for their 50th wedding anniversary – this time travelling on the restored Swanage Railway.

The sights and sounds may evoke another era, but much remains wonderfully familiar: the guards’ flags, clanking signal arms, token exchange at Corfe Castle and, of course, the unmistakable sound of a steam train travelling through the Purbeck countryside.

As Paul puts it, borrowing from Paul Simon: *“Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance.”*

Do you remember travelling on the Swanage branch in years gone by? We’d love to hear your memories.

A look back at Flying Scotsman’s last visit to Swanage Railway – and it won’t be long until this iconic locomotive retur...
27/08/2026

A look back at Flying Scotsman’s last visit to Swanage Railway – and it won’t be long until this iconic locomotive returns to Purbeck.

From 23 October to 1 November, there are several ways to experience Flying Scotsman. Come along on a Static Day to see this world-famous locomotive up close, enjoy standard travel behind Flying Scotsman, make your journey extra special with our Bubbles & Scones Package, or enjoy Afternoon Tea aboard the beautiful Devon Belle Observation Car.

Tickets are selling fast, so if you’re hoping to join us this autumn, don’t miss out.

Find out more and book: swanagerailway.co.uk/flying-scotsman-returns

Photos: Andrew PM Wright

The timetable for our Autumn Steam Gala has been finalised! 🥳Our Autumn Steam Gala will take place between Friday 11th a...
26/08/2026

The timetable for our Autumn Steam Gala has been finalised! 🥳

Our Autumn Steam Gala will take place between Friday 11th and Sunday 13th of September, with our new Preview Day taking place on Thursday 10th.

Our Preview Day will see U Class 31806 run alongside Battle of Britain Class “Manston” and “257 Squadron” on a slightly quieter and slower paced day compared to the main Steam Gala event. The Preview Day will also feature trains to and from the River Frome, giving you more opportunities to enjoy this section of the railway.

The three day Steam Gala event will include our four resident locomotives as well as visiting A1 Class 60163 “Tornado”. All five locomotives will run on a busy timetable with services running between Swanage and Norden as well as some services running to and from the River Frome.

This year we also have Brake Van Rides which are available on different length trips, with some also going to and from the River Frome. Our Beerex service will run on Friday and Saturday night, offering a great way to finish your day out with us. You can also book tickets for the Fish and Chip special behind Tornado (Sunday only), details about this service are listed on our website.

Visit our website to find out more about the event and to book your tickets - https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events

25/08/2026

Looking for something special to do this Bank Holiday?

Swap screens for steam trains and enjoy a day out the kids won’t forget. Climb aboard, explore the railway and travel through the beautiful Isle of Purbeck, making memories together along the way.

There’s something magical about a steam train journey – especially when you’re seeing it through their eyes.

Plan your Bank Holiday adventure at Swanage Railway.

Travel on our Sunset Shuttle evening service this summer and take advantage of a 10% discount on food at The Bankes Arms...
22/08/2026

Travel on our Sunset Shuttle evening service this summer and take advantage of a 10% discount on food at The Bankes Arms in Corfe Castle!

Our friends at The Bankes Arms in Corfe Castle have kindly offered a 10% discount across their fantastic food menu to those with a valid ticket to travel on our Sunset Shuttle service during August. The Sunset Shuttle runs throughout the evening on selected dates and it’s the perfect way to enjoy all that the local area has to offer.

The next Sunset Shuttle runs this evening, so why not pop along for a ride tonight? Visit our website to find out more - https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk

📸Andrew PM Wright

This weekend we have two icons of British Railways history in use on the Swanage Railway in the form of Battle of Britai...
22/08/2026

This weekend we have two icons of British Railways history in use on the Swanage Railway in the form of Battle of Britain Class Number 34070 “Manston” and visiting Class 20 20066.

Both locomotives will run on our Yellow Timetable with the first train departing Swanage Station at 09:50 each morning.

Did you know that you can now travel all day as many times as you like with our new all day tickets? That means you can enjoy more smiles per mile using these fantastic value tickets!

Tickets are available from our website or you can purchase them from our ticket offices at Swanage, Corfe Castle or Norden Station.

Visit our website to find out more - www.swanagerailway.co.uk

📸Alexander Smith and Ian Dixon

Address

Station Approach
Swanage
BH191HB

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 11pm
Tuesday 10am - 11pm
Wednesday 10am - 11pm
Thursday 10am - 11pm
Friday 10am - 11pm
Saturday 10am - 11pm
Sunday 10am - 11pm

Telephone

01929 425800

Website

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