Churnet Valley Railway

About the museum

The Churnet Valley line was opened by the North Staffordshire Railway in 1849. Passenger trains between Kingsley and Froghall and Leek stopped in 1965, and freight traffic on the route ended in 1988. Preservation began in the early 1970s with a small demonstration line in the goods yard at Cheddleton. The Victorian station building there was saved from demolition in 1974, listed Grade II, and taken over by a railway society in 1976 as a museum.

A charitable company was formed in 1978 to look after the collection, and Churnet Valley Railway (1992) plc was set up as the operating company. A light railway order was granted in 1996 and the first passenger service ran on 24 August 1996 from Cheddleton to Leek Brook Junction. Consall reopened in 1998 and Kingsley and Froghall in 2001, and the line was later extended towards Cauldon Lowe and around the Ipstones loop.

The railway is now about 10.5 miles long. Most passenger trains run between Kingsley and Froghall and the Ipstones loop, calling at Consall and Cheddleton, and the first train reached a temporary terminus at Leek on 31 December 2024. Cheddleton station still houses the railway museum archive, an original booking office and waiting room, and the engine shed and carriage and wagon workshops.

Highlights

• Steam and diesel heritage trains through the Churnet Valley
• Cheddleton station, a Grade II listed Victorian station with railway museum archive
• Engine shed and carriage restoration workshops at Cheddleton
• Kingsley and Froghall station with tearoom and gift shop
• Seasonal events such as the Polar Express train ride

Operated by

Churnet Valley Railway (1992) plc

Admission & discounts

Standard tickets are all-day rover tickets with unlimited trips and unlimited getting on and off. Fares are shown on the online booking system and vary by date, so no single price is entered here. Other dogs travel for £10 each on public timetable trains.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Boarding a train in a wheelchair or on a mobility scooter is only possible at Froghall, where a ramp takes units up to 700mm wide and 230kg loaded; there is no accessible toilet on the train. Froghall has a disabled toilet and four disabled parking bays. At Cheddleton the platform is flat but there are two large steps up onto the train, and the toilet block has one small step. The carriages date from the mid-1950s and have limited adaptations. There is no hearing loop; station announcements use a Tannoy system. Accredited assistance dogs are welcome in the tearoom and on all trains.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities

The Kids Go Free offer and seasonal family events such as the Polar Express are promoted. Baby changing is available at Froghall and, inside the ladies' toilets, at Cheddleton.

Getting there & parking

Wheelchair users and elderly passengers can be dropped off at the Froghall platform before the car is parked. The railway's postal address is the Froghall station.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Froghall has a tearoom with hot and cold food, cakes and drinks, and a large gift shop. Cheddleton has a small shop and refreshment stand. Dining trains and a limited trolley service run on selected services.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit