List of British heritage and private railways

This is a list of heritage, private and preserved railways in the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands that are privately owned, kept or preserved, built, constructed and run for railway heritage and/or profit, not necessarily providing a meaningful public transportation service. For rail museums, see List of British railway museums.

Many of the standard-gauge railways (thus including former ex-branch lines and former ex-mainline routes) listed were originally closed by British Railways (later shortened to British Rail) under the Beeching Cuts in the 1960s, although lines closed in subsequent decades have also been subject to restoration and operation as private or preserved heritage lines. A smaller number of lines were formerly industrial or colliery railways.

Many of these preserved railways, heritage lines and railway centres alike are popular tourist attractions and make significant contributions to their local economies.

Standard gauge

 * Aln Valley Railway, Alnwick, Northumberland
 * Avon Valley Railway, Bitton, Gloucestershire
 * Battlefield Line, Shackerstone, Leicestershire
 * Bideford & Instow Railway, Bideford, Devon
 * Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park, Sussex
 * Bodmin & Wenford Railway, Bodmin, Cornwall
 * Bowes Railway, Tyne and Wear
 * Bristol Harbour Railway, Bristol, Gloucestershire
 * Cambrian Heritage Railways, Oswestry and Llynclys, Shropshire
 * Chasewater Railway, Staffordshire
 * Chatham Historic Dockyard Railway, Kent
 * Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, Chinnor, Oxfordshire
 * Cholsey & Wallingford Railway, Wallingford, Oxfordshire
 * Churnet Valley Railway, Cheddleton, Staffordshire
 * Colne Valley Railway, Castle Hedingham, Essex
 * Dartmoor Railway, Okehampton, Devon
 * Dartmouth Steam Railway, Paignton, Devon
 * Dean Forest Railway, Norchard, Gloucestershire
 * Derwent Valley Light Railway, Murton, North Yorkshire
 * East Kent Railway, Shepherdswell, Kent
 * East Lancashire Railway, Bury, Greater Manchester
 * East Somerset Railway, Cranmore, Somerset
 * Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Wirksworth, Derbyshire
 * Eden Valley Railway, Warcop, Cumbria
 * Elsecar Heritage Railway, South Yorkshire
 * Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, Embsay, North Yorkshire
 * Epping Ongar Railway, Ongar, Essex
 * Fawley Hill Railway, Buckinghamshire
 * Foxfield Light Railway, Blythe Bridge, Staffordshire
 * Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, Toddington, Gloucestershire
 * Great Central Railway, Loughborough, Leicestershire.
 * Great Central Railway (Nottingham), Ruddington, Nottinghamshire
 * Helston Railway, Prospidnick, Cornwall
 * Isle of Wight Steam Railway, Havenstreet, Isle of Wight
 * Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, Haworth, West Yorkshire
 * Kent & East Sussex Steam Railway, Tenterden, Kent
 * Kingfisher Line, Titley, Herefordshire - private site
 * Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, Staveley, Cumbria
 * Lavender Line, Isfield, East Sussex
 * Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, Ludborough, Lincolnshire
 * Mid Hants Railway, New Alresford, Hampshire
 * Mid-Norfolk Railway, East Dereham, Norfolk
 * Mid-Suffolk Light Railway, Brockford, Suffolk
 * Middleton Railway, Hunslet, West Yorkshire
 * Midland Railway, Butterley, Derbyshire
 * Nene Valley Railway, Wansford, Cambridgeshire
 * North Norfolk Railway, Sheringham, Norfolk
 * North Tyneside Steam Railway, Tyne and Wear
 * North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Pickering, North Yorkshire
 * Northampton & Lamport Railway, Pitsford and Brampton, Northamptonshire
 * Northants Ironstone Railway, Hunsbury Hill, Northamptonshire
 * Peak Rail, Darley Dale, Derbyshire
 * Plym Valley Railway, Marsh Mills, Devon
 * Ribble Steam Railway, Riversway, Lancashire
 * Rowden Mill & Fencote Railway, Herefordshire, - private site
 * Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway, Rushden, Northamptonshire
 * Rutland Railway, Cottesmore, Rutland
 * Severn Valley Railway, Bridgnorth, Shropshire
 * Snibston Railway, Leicestershire
 * Somerset & Dorset Heritage Railway, Midsomer Norton, Somerset
 * South Devon Railway, Buckfastleigh, Devon
 * Spa Valley Railway, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
 * Stainmore Railway, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria
 * Swanage Railway, Swanage, Dorset
 * Swindon & Cricklade Railway, Blunsdon, Wiltshire
 * Tanfield Railway, Marley Hill, County Durham
 * Telford Steam Railway, Horsehay, Shropshire
 * Weardale Railway, Stanhope, County Durham
 * Wensleydale Railway, Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire
 * West Somerset Railway, Minehead, Somerset

Railway centres and museums

 * Appleby Frodingham Railway, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire
 * Armley Mills Industrial Museum, Armley, West Yorkshire
 * Astley Green Colliery Museum, Lancashire
 * Barrow Hill Railway Centre, Barrow Hill, Derbyshire
 * Beamish Museum & Railway Centre, County Durham
 * Bideford Railway Heritage Centre, Devon
 * Bressingham Steam and Gardens, Norfolk
 * Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Quainton Road, Buckinghamshire
 * Carnforth Railway Centre, Carnforth, Lancashire
 * Darlington Railway Centre and Museum, Darlington, County Durham
 * Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire
 * East Anglian Railway Museum, Essex
 * Electric Railway Museum, Warwickshire
 * Haig Colliery Mining Museum, Cumbria
 * London Transport Museum, London
 * Mangapps Railway Centre, Essex
 * National Railway Museum, York, North Yorkshire
 * Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire
 * Rushden Transport Museum, Northamptonshire
 * Locomotion, Shildon, County Durham
 * Southall Railway Centre, Southall, West London
 * STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, Wiltshire
 * Tyseley Railway Centre, Tyseley, West Midlands
 * Whitwell & Reepham Railway, Norfolk
 * Yeovil Railway Centre, Yeovil, Somerset

Narrow gauge

 * Abbey Light Railway, Kirkstall, West Yorkshire - now closed
 * Amberley Museum Railway, Amberley, Sussex
 * Amerton Railway, Staffordshire
 * Apedale Valley Light Railway (See also Moseley Railway Trust) Chesterton, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire
 * Beeches Light Railway - private site
 * Bicton Woodland Railway, Devon
 * Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway, Kent
 * Bressingham Steam and Gardens, Norfolk
 * Bromyard & Linton Railway - private site
 * Bure Valley Railway, Aylsham, Norfolk
 * Cadeby Light Railway, Cadeby, Leicestershire - now closed
 * Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, Lincolnshire
 * Derbyshire Dales Narrow Gauge Railway, Derbyshire
 * Devon Railway Centre, Bickleigh, Devon
 * Eaton Hall Railway, Cheshire - private site
 * Exmoor Steam Railway, Devon - private site
 * Gartell Light Railway, Somerset
 * Golden Valley Light Railway, Derbyshire
 * Hayling Seaside Railway, Hampshire
 * Heatherslaw Light Railway, Northumberland
 * Hythe Pier Ferry Railway, Hampshire
 * Hollycombe Steam Collection, Hampshire
 * Kew Bridge Steam Museum, London
 * Launceston Steam Railway, Launceston, Cornwall
 * Leighton Buzzard Light Railway, Bedfordshire
 * London Post Office Railway - CLOSED (Out of use)
 * Lynbarn Railway, Devon
 * Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, Devon
 * Markeaton Park Light Railway, Derby
 * Moseley Railway Trust, Chesterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
 * Morwellham Quay Open Air Museum, Devon
 * North Gloucestershire Railway, Toddington, Gloucestershire
 * North Ings Farm Railway, Lincolnshire
 * Perrygrove Railway, Gloucestershire
 * Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, Cumbria
 * Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, Kent
 * Rudyard Lake Steam Railway, Rudyard, Staffordshire
 * Seaton Tramway, Seaton, Devon
 * Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway, Kent
 * Southend Pier Railway, Southend-on-Sea, Essex
 * South Tynedale Railway between Alston, Cumbria and Lintley, Northumberland
 * Statfold Barn Railway, Tamworth, Staffordshire - private site
 * Steeple Grange Light Railway, Derbyshire
 * Stevington & Turvey Light Railway - private site
 * Volk's Electric Railway, Brighton, East Sussex
 * Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills, Essex
 * West Lancashire Light Railway, Lancashire
 * Windmill Farm Railway, Lancashire
 * Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway, Ashington, Northumberland
 * Yaxham Light Railway, Norfolk - private site

Miniature railways

 * Audley End Railway, Essex
 * Beer Heights Light Railway, Devon
 * Bekonscot Light Railway, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
 * Berkeley Light Railway, Gloucestershire
 * Blenheim Park Railway, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
 * Broomy Hill Railway, Hereford
 * Downs Railway Colwall, Ledbury, Herefordshire
 * Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway & Country Park, Hampshire
 * East Herts Miniature Railway, Ware, Hertfordshire
 * Eaton Park Miniature Railway, Norwich, Norfolk
 * Echills Wood Railway, Kingsbury Waterpark, Warwickshire
 * Fancott Miniature Railway, Bedfordshire
 * Frimley Lodge Park Railway, Surrey
 * Gorse Blossom Farm Railway, Devon
 * Great Cockcrow Railway, Chertsey, Surrey
 * Ickenham Miniature Railway, Ickenham, Greater London
 * Kirklees Light Railway, Clayton West, West Yorkshire
 * Lakeside Miniature Railway, Southport, Merseyside
 * Lappa Valley Steam Railway, Cornwall
 * Malden District Society of Model Engineers, Thames Ditton, Surrey
 * Markeaton Park Light Railway, Derby
 * Moors Valley Railway, Ashley Heath, Dorset
 * Museum of Power, Langford, Essex
 * Saltburn Miniature Railway Middlesbrough
 * North Bay Railway, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
 * Royal Victoria Country Park, Southampton, Hampshire
 * Ruislip Lido Railway, Ruislip, Greater London
 * South Downs Light Railway, Pulborough, West Sussex
 * Stapleford Miniature Railway, Leicestershire
 * Electric Railway Museum, Warwickshire
 * Watford Miniature Railway, Cassiobury Park, Watford, Hertfordshire
 * Wells & Walsingham Light Railway, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
 * Wells Harbour Railway, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk
 * Weston Park Railway, Shropshire
 * Wicksteed Park Railway, Northamptonshire
 * Woking Miniature Railway, Knaphill, Surrey
 * Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway, Ashington, Northumberland
 * Dragon Miniature Railway, Marple, Greater Manchester

Tramways
Tramway operation in Britain ceased almost entirely in the 1950s. Once Glasgow had disposed of its lines, the sole survivor was the Blackpool Corporation Tramways, although considerably reduced in size. In the late 20th century there was a tramway revival, notably in Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, the West Midlands and Croydon.

In addition, preserved trams operate at:
 * Beamish Museum, County Durham
 * Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, West Midlands
 * Bradford Industrial Museum, West Yorkshire
 * Crich Tramway Village and Museum, Crich, Derbyshire
 * East Anglia Transport Museum, Lowestoft, Suffolk
 * Heaton Park Tramway, Manchester, Greater Manchester
 * Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society Birkenhead, Merseyside
 * Seaton Tramway, Seaton, Devon
 * Shipley Glen Tramway, Shipley, West Yorkshire
 * Southport Pier Tramway, Southport, Merseyside

Proposed

 * Folkestone Harbour Railway, Kent (Proposed)
 * Leiston Works Railway, Leiston, Suffolk (currently under construction)
 * North Dorset Railway, Shillingstone, Dorset (Currently under construction)
 * Poulton and Wyre Railway, Thornton–Cleveleys, Lancashire (currently under restoration)
 * Rother Valley Line, Robertsbridge, East Sussex (land purchases in progress)
 * Southwold Railway, Southwold, Suffolk (Proposed)
 * Tarka Valley Railway, Torrington, Devon (Proposed, currently under construction)
 * Wisbech and March Railway, Waldersea, Cambridgeshire (Proposed)
 * Yorkshire Wolds Railway, Sledmere–Fimber, East Yorkshire (currently under construction)

Standard gauge

 * Downpatrick and County Down Railway

Narrow gauge

 * TBA

See List of heritage railways in Northern Ireland.

Standard gauge

 * Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway, Bo'ness, Falkirk
 * Border Union Railway Whitrope, Roxburghshire
 * Caledonian Railway, Brechin, Angus
 * Keith & Dufftown Railway, Dufftown, Banffshire and Morayshire
 * Royal Deeside Railway, Milton of Crathes, Aberdeenshire
 * Strathspey Railway, Aviemore, Highland

Railway centres

 * Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society
 * Scottish Industrial Railway Centre, Ayrshire

Narrow gauge

 * Alford Valley Railway, Aberdeenshire
 * Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway, Lanarkshire

Miniature railways

 * Kerr's Miniature Railway, Arbroath
 * Ness Islands Railway
 * Sanday Light Railway

Tramways

 * Summerlee Heritage Park

Proposed
TBA

Standard gauge

 * Barry Tourist Railway, Vale of Glamorgan, Glamorganshire
 * Llangollen Railway, Llangollen, Denbighshire
 * Gwili Railway, Bronwydd Arms, Carmarthenshire
 * Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway, Monmouthshire

Narrow gauge

 * Bala Lake Railway, Llanuwchllyn, Gwynedd
 * Brecon Mountain Railway, Pant, close to Merthyr Tydfil
 * Corris Railway, Gwynedd
 * Ffestiniog Railway, Porthmadog, Gwynedd
 * Llanberis Lake Railway, Gwynedd
 * Margam Park Railway, Margam
 * Snowdon Mountain Railway, Gwynedd
 * Talyllyn Railway, Tywyn, Gwynedd
 * Teifi Valley Railway, Henllan, Ceredigion
 * Vale of Rheidol Railway, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion
 * Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, Gwynedd
 * Welsh Highland Railway, Caernarfon, Gwynedd
 * Welshpool & Llanfair Railway, Powys

Miniature railways

 * Conwy Valley Railway Museum, Betws-y-Coed
 * Fairbourne Railway, Gwynedd
 * Rhiw Valley Light Railway, Berriew, Powys
 * Rhyl Miniature Railway, Rhyl

Tramways

 * Great Orme Tramway, Llandudno

Proposed

 * Amlwch Heritage Railway, Anglesey (Proposed)
 * Amman Valley Railway, Carmarthenshire (Proposed)
 * Dolgarrog Railway, Conwy Valley (Proposed)
 * Garw Valley Railway, Pontycymmer, Glamorganshire (Proposed)
 * Gwendraeth Railway, Pontyates, Carmarthenshire (Proposed)
 * Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway Cynheidre, Carmarthenshire, - not yet open to the public
 * Tanat Valley Heritage Railway (Proposed)
 * Penrhyn Quarry Railway, (Proposed)
 * Glyn Valley Tramway, (Proposed)

Isle of Man
See List of heritage railways in the Isle of Man.

Alderney

 * Alderney Railway

Jersey

 * Pallot Heritage Steam Museum