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Closed until 8 Dec 2023
South Tynedale Railway
South Tynedale Railway
4.5
Temporarily closedClosed until Dec 8, 2023
About
Come for a ride on the North of England’s double gold award winning narrow gauge railway winding from Alston into the South Tyne Valley in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Our trains are hauled by steam, diesel or battery electric locos and all have a fascinating history. Both of our restored stations at Alston and Slaggyford house a café or buffet car and accesible toilets. Most areas of the site are accessible, are super dog friendly and there are large car parks at Alston and Slaggyford.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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4.5
314 reviews
Excellent
190
Very good
97
Average
16
Poor
6
Terrible
5
Jim D
177 contributions
Jul 2023 • Friends
Stopped for a coffee, mid-morning whilst travelling in the area, It was not at a time that the trains were running.
The café was really good, with superb service. Thank you
The café was really good, with superb service. Thank you
Written 31 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Derek P
Lanark, UK391 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
I confess I didn't actually go on the train trip but only because I hadn't enough time for it. However I did see the train arriving at the station and it looked like a fun trip. Everyone who got off the train was smiling or beaming.
Written 13 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
steve B
Durham, UK3 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
Super day out. Very friendly and helpful staff/ volunteers. Nice cafe at the start and end of the line. Beautiful views as the train trundled down the south Tyne valley.
Written 30 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
575Jenny
Swindon, UK24 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
A super preserved railway that can be enjoyed by all. Very friendly, the scenery is beautiful and if you want to stretch your legs you can walk along a defined path which runs alongside the line. Refreshments are available at both ends of the line. A super day out, thank you.
Written 25 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zoe G
15 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
A lovely trip out Alston - Slaggyford. Staff are friendly and helpful making the experience a joy. The journey was good and the views from the train were amazing. Definitely worth the visit and will hopefully be back again when in the area.
Written 16 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike M
21 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Worst customer service ever we had previously checked with the mana
manager they could provide suitable refreshments and food for my Vegan partner. On the 2 occasions we accessed the cafe the same person I'm too busy to provide for you.
manager they could provide suitable refreshments and food for my Vegan partner. On the 2 occasions we accessed the cafe the same person I'm too busy to provide for you.
Written 13 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Becky F
1 contribution
Dec 2022 • Family
Magical family Santa train thoroughly enjoyed by three generations. Thoughtful, enthusiastic and engaging staff have further fuelled train enthusiasm.
Written 18 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sightseer06091602529
6 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
Fabulous day. All the staff ( mostly volunteers I belief) go out of their way to be helpful and friendly. My 11 year old grandson and I had a wonderful day. Thankyou.
Written 29 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. So pleased you had a wonderful day and yes, all of the Railway staff you will have met are volunteers who work really hard to keep the Railway going. They're brilliant!!
Written 5 September 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nigel E
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Friends
A group of 4 adults visited the station cafe. My first thought was the food is quite expensive, but, when our food arrived it was all fresh and freshly prepared which negated my thoughts about the price. The overwhelming experience was of owners/staff who took what they were doing very seriously.
Written 28 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
An_Old_Burian
Norwich, UK1,379 contributions
Jun 2022
We did a return trip from Alston to Slaggyford which proved to be very pleasant. We enjoyed a dronk at the Slaggyford Buffet Car..........but did feeel that there was a lost opportunity to sell us an coffee & snacks on the train.......or even an afternoon tea
Written 23 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Apologies that we didn't respond immediately to your review, thank you for taking the time to write it and great to read you had a pleasant day. Thanks also for the helpful comment about the refreshments on the train. We are very happy for people to purchase refreshments at either of our two cafes and enjoy them on the train. Cream teas are available from the Crossing Cafe but do need to be pre-booked. We hope you'll come and see us again!
Written 5 September 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Is the railway running now
Ian S
Kettering, UK824 contributions
Sorry I don’t know. it wasn’t in July when we were there. But they do have a website so it’s worth having a look.
Stella G
Vienna, VA9 contributions
We are thinking of visiting England in October 2019, using Carlisle as a launching place for sightseeing in Cumbria. I had ancestors who lived in Alston and are interested in taking a day trip to Alston from Carlisle. I saw an ad on TripAdvisor for the South Tynesdale Railway leaving from Alston. Does the train return directly to Alston? How long would a round trip on the railway from Alston take?
HisLordshipZion
Alston, UK66 contributions
Hello there. The South Tyneside Railway is only a few miles long. Most stay on it as it just runs back and forth (the engine moves from one end to the other), but you can get off, have a hike around and then hop back on a later one.
The round trip is circa 30 minutes as the train goes very slowly.
I'll wave as you go by!
Sarahf190728
Darlington, UK6 contributions
Is there any to do when you disembark at Slaggyford for a couple of hours?
tarring
Durham, UK7 contributions
Hi unfortunately no there isn't you can walk on a further 4 mile or so to the viaduct which has amazing views. But slaggyford still worth the visit for the history and the scenery.
Julia R
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, UK310 contributions
Do you have to book in advance or can you just turn up on the day you want to travel?

Independent reviewer
Lincoln, UK
Hi, There is usually no need to book except for our special event trains when we get very busy and booking is through our website. The 1:15 train tomorrow (Saturday July 28th) is however fully booked but there are plenty of seats on the earlier train at 10:45a.m and the later train at 15:15p.m
Is it open in February
RamKamEssex
Harlow, UK56 contributions
No. But do go when it is. It's great.
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Claim your listingSOUTH TYNEDALE RAILWAY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about South Tynedale Railway
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