Festival on Rails

Sat 22 – Mon 31 Aug 2026

Unlimited travel behind three historic locomotives in action each day! 

  • Take a ride on our train of Victorian carriages or unique 1920s train

  • Free Spotters Trail or Poppy Line Pirates Trail for all children

  • Tours of Locomotive and Carriage & Wagon Sheds (advance booking essential)

  • Save 15% off tickets when you book in advance

BOOK NOW
BOOK BRUNCH ON BOARD – 31 Aug
BOOK A TOUR OF THE ENGINEERING WORKS

Explore the North Norfolk Railway during this special week and travel behind a varied line-up of steam and diesel locomotives! 

Our Festival on Rails is a fantastic finale to the summer holidays. See and travel behind two steam engines and one diesel locomotive each day on trains dating from Victorian times to the 1960s. Grab your tickets and climb aboard for a journey back in time.

Plus, be sure to hop off and have a go on our signalling simulator at Reedham Junction (Holt) or pick up our Poppy Line Pirates Trail if you have younger passengers with you!

Our great value one-, two- or three- day rover tickets are valid for unlimited travel allowing you to hop on and off all day and experience travel aboard contrasting trains from different eras.

August 31 – Celebrate a Birthday! 

  • Join us on Monday 31 for a ride behind D6732 as we mark 30 year’s of the loco working at the Poppy Line
  • D6732 will work 4 round trips (1015 first departure from Sheringham) exactly 30 years since the loco’s first public service on the NNR

An unusual chance to take a look behind the scenes at our Weybourne Engineering Works and see the work that goes on in our Locomotive Works and Carriage & Wagon Shed. A £10 supplement applies to Day Rover tickets for those wishing to take the Shed Tour.

Meet at 1.05pm each day at the Booking Hall at Weybourne Station. Spaces are strictly limited and Advance Booking is Essential.

All locomotives subject to availability. The exact line-up for each day is still to be finalised – further details will appear here when available.

Timetable

After a prolonged period of high fire risk we are pleased to announce that from Tues 25 August, steam trains will be scheduled to resume running along the whole length of our line.

We have liaised with Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, who have confirmed that the recent rainfall and lower temperatures have reduced fire risk enough for this timetable to be put into place. Our team will continue to liaise with NFRS and any updates will be announced as soon as we are able, should circumstances change.

TRAIN 1 – A train of 1950s and ’60s carriages scheduled to be hauled by a diesel locomotive

TRAIN 2 – Carriages dating from Victorian times hauled by a steam loco

TRAIN 3 – Train of unique 1920s teak carriages – steam-hauled every day (Suburban Coaches from 1950s on Aug 22)

TRAIN 4 – Carriages dating from Victorian times hauled by a steam loco on 22, 24, 25, 26, 28 & 29 August

TRAIN 4 – Steam-hauled cream tea train – limited seating for non-dining passengers on 27 Aug

Victorian Train – Carriages dating from Victorian times hauled by a steam locomotive

TRAIN 1 – A train of 1950s and ’60s carriages scheduled to be hauled by a diesel locomotive

TRAIN 2 – Carriages dating from Victorian times hauled by a steam loco on 27 Aug

TRAIN 2 – Steam-hauled brunch service with limited seating for non-dining passengers on 23, 30 & 31 Aug

TRAIN 3 – Train of unique 1920s teak carriages – steam-hauled every day

TRAIN 4 – Steam-hauled cream tea train – limited seating for non-dining passengers on 23, 27, 30 & 31 Aug

Victorian Train – Carriages dating from Victorian times hauled by a steam locomotive

Locomotives

Each day during this year’s Festival on Rails you can see and ride behind 3 different historic locomotives, 2 steam and 1 diesel!

Across the 10 days, 8 different locomotives are scheduled to be out on the line – please see details of the line up for each day below.

Please note that each locomotive is subject to availability and could be swapped with a different engine for operational reasons. 

Up to eight locomotives will be in action across the ten-day event, with three working trains on each day.

Those scheduled to appear between Sat 22 – Monday 24 August are:

Up to eight locomotives will be in action across the ten-day event, with three working trains on each day.

Those scheduled to appear between Tues 25 – Thu 27 August are:

Up to eight locomotives will be in action across the ten-day event, with three working trains on each day.

Those scheduled to appear between Fri 28 – Sat 29 August are:

Up to nine locomotives will be in action across the ten-day event, with three working trains on each day.

Those scheduled to appear between Fri 28 – Mon 31 August are:

Reserve Timetable

Below is our reserve timetable, which will be put into place should extenuating high fire risk measures be once again required.

Our team will continue to liaise with NFRS and any updates will be announced as soon as we are able, should circumstances change.

TRAIN 1 – Train of 1950s and ’60s carriages scheduled to be hauled by a diesel locomotive

TRAIN 3 – Train of unique 1920s teak carriages – steam-hauled every day

TRAIN 5 – Train of unique 1920s teak carriages hauled by a steam loco (Suburban Coaches from 1950s on Aug 22)

TRAIN 6 – Train of unique 1920s teak carriages hauled by a steam locomotive on 22, 24, 25, 26, 28 & 29 Aug

TRAIN 6 – Steam-hauled cream tea train – limited seating for non-dining passengers on 27 Aug

Victorian Train – Carriages dating from Victorian times hauled by a steam locomotive

TRAIN 1 – Train of 1950s and ’60s carriages scheduled to be hauled by a diesel locomotive

TRAIN 3 – Train of unique 1920s teak carriages – steam-hauled every day

TRAIN 5 – Train of unique 1920s teak carriages hauled by a steam loco on 27 Aug

TRAIN 5 – Steam-hauled brunch service – limited seating for non-dining passengers on 23, 30 & 31 Aug

TRAIN 6 – Steam-hauled cream tea train – limited seating for non-dining passengers on 23, 27, 30 & 31 Aug

Victorian Train – Carriages dating from Victorian times hauled by a steam locomotive

Fares

Event tickets allow for Hop on – Hop off unlimited travel all day.

Advance tickets must be purchased at least one day before travel.

Ticket Type Price
Adult Day Rover  £22.10
Child Day Rover (3–15 yrs)  £15.47
Family of 4 (Max 2 Adults)  £61.62
Family of 5 (Max 2 Adults)  £71.82
Dog  £ 3.50
Bicycle  £ 3.50

Subject to availability tickets can also be purchased from the ticket offices at Holt, Sheringham or Weybourne on the day of travel

Ticket Type Price
Adult Day Rover  £26.00
Child Day Rover (3–15 yrs)  £18.20
Family of 4 (Max 2 Adults)  £72.50
Family of 5 (Max 2 Adults)  £84.50
Dog  £ 3.50
Bicycle  £ 3.50

Hop on and off…