Trains & Railways in South East

The 28 railways here split into three kinds, and the choice mostly comes down to how much of the day you want to give to trains. The full lines are the biggest commitment. The Watercress Line, which Railfuture lists as the Mid-Hants Railway based at Alton, works best on a Day Rover, and reviewers say to spend the time at Ropley, where the locomotive playground and workshop galleries are; Thomas days sell out. Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway ends at Dungeness with its lighthouse and shingle, though the carriages have low roofs that trouble taller adults. Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway, which Railfuture notes has connected to the mainline at Princes Risborough since 2018, is singled out for Santa specials that include gifts and refreshments in the ticket.

The centres suit children who want to touch engines rather than ride past them. Didcot Railway Centre offers hands-on access across 21 acres with a direct entrance from Didcot Parkway. Buckinghamshire Railway Centre has an indoor museum and miniature railway, so non-steaming days still hold up. East Kent Railway Trust, at Shepherdswell according to Railfuture, mixes a diesel ride, small gauge lines, a woodland walk and a well-liked cafe. Bredgar & Wormshill Railway is the small, quiet option: steam on the first Sunday of the month, and children have been allowed to steer under supervision.

Two sites pair trains with something else. Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway is large enough that a full day covers only part of it, with age-calibrated Halloween ghost trains. Bekonscot Model Village & Railway gives toddlers a ride-on train and older children hidden shopfront jokes; it closes in winter.

The rest are cheap miniature railways in parks. Eastleigh Lakeside Miniature Railway has a mid-loop playground stop with free reboarding. Mizens Railway (Woking Miniature Railway Society) runs a full mile through woodland. Riley’s Miniature Railway at Isfield Station lets children work the signal box, with fares going to Evelina Children's Hospital. Tinkers Park Steam Rally is cash only and the steam horns are loud.