Aln Valley Railway
Renishaw Signal Box
Welcome
Travel through the beautiful Northumbrian countryside in vintage 1950’s carriages
Pacer at Lionheart
Miniature Train
Not just big trains
Something for the little ones too
Something for the little ones – unlimited rides on our miniature railway.
No60 Freight
Bringing the past to life
Recreating scenes from years gone by.
Pacer and 60
Santa Specials
Welcome to the Aln Valley Railway
Travel back in time in Northumberland
The Aln Valley Railway (AVR) is Northumberland’s only standard gauge heritage steam railway located on the outskirts of the historic market town of Alnwick. It passes through the scenic Northumbrian countryside local to a number of world famous visitor attractions, including Alnwick Castle, The Alnwick Garden, Lilidorei and Barter Books second hand bookshop.
The AVR is a relative newcomer to the heritage railway movement, having only been operational since 2013. The aim is to recreate the once closed branchline between Alnwick and the east coast mainline at Alnmouth. In addition, a footpath and cycleway runs alongside, providing a major community benefit.
Operating Days and Upcoming Events
See the calendar below for the days when trains will be operating. All other dates the site is closed to the public. To book tickets, please go to our Times and Tickets page.
October 2026 Opening Dates
| October 2026 Running Days | ||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
31 |
|
| Steam Hauled Service | Dining Train (pre-booking required) | ||
| Heritage Diesel Service | Driver Experience (pre-booking required) | ||
| Pacer (DMU) Service | Santa Specials (pre-booking required) | ||
| Themed Event Day – click on date for more information |
November 2026 Opening Dates
| November 2026 Running Days | ||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
| 30 | 1 | |||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| Steam Hauled Service | Dining Train (pre-booking required) | ||
| Heritage Diesel Service | Driver Experience (pre-booking required) | ||
| Pacer (DMU) Service | Santa Specials (pre-booking required) | ||
| Themed Event Day – click on date for more information |
December 2026 Opening Dates
| December 2026 Running Days | ||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||
| Steam Hauled Service | Dining Train (pre-booking required) | ||
| Heritage Diesel Service | Driver Experience (pre-booking required) | ||
| Pacer (DMU) Service | Santa Specials (pre-booking required) | ||
| Themed Event Day – click on date for more information |
Sponsor a Sleeper
Help us extend the railway towards Alnmouth Station
A sponsored sleeper would make an excellent gift for a family member or friend and will provide a lasting reminder for your contribution in bringing the Alnwick Branch back to life.
Volunteer with us
Be part of the team that makes history happen
The railway is run entirely by volunteers. Without their help we cannot exist. We welcome everyone from all walks of life, skilled or unskilled, to help us build, restore and operate the railway.
Become a member
Support the Aln Valley Railway
As a member of the Trust, you have an opportunity to shape its future, you can become a working volunteer to help build, maintain and operate the railway, and know you are supporting the aims of the railway financially.
Leave a Lasting Legacy
Over the years the railway has been extremely grateful for the bequests that have been received, these donations have made a huge difference to the project.
Maintenance Shed Appeal
Support us to complete fitting out our new maintenance shed.
The sooner we get it finished, the sooner our hard working and dedicated volunteers can do their wonderful work under cover!
Coal Appeal
We need your help to keep the fires burning.
Coal prices keep rising and good steam coal is hard to find.
Can you dig deep and help fund a JCB bucket of coal for £50?