Are all areas of the attraction accessible by wheelchair?

No, all areas are not wheelchair accessible. Some of the more remote areas, such as museum walk and the wildlife garden may be hard to access for wheelchair users, particularly the ramp up to the higher level area.

Can wheelchairs be rented? If so, what is the cost?

No, wheelchairs cannot be rented.

Do you offer special assistance for visitors in the wheelchair?

Yes, special assistance is available.

Is Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway wheelchair friendly?

No, Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway is not wheelchair friendly. Some of the more remote areas, such as museum walk and the wildlife garden may be hard to access for wheelchair users, particularly the ramp up to the higher level area.

Do you have step-free access from the car park to train?

Yes, there is a ramped access from just beyond the car park to the ticket office at Sittingbourne Viaduct station. In 2024, ramps will be required to access the new higher & wider platform but in 2025 that won't be necessary. Ramps are provided to access the specially adapted wide-access door coaches which are provided on each train. There's no need to book in advance except during Santa Specials to ensure we have you allocated to the correct coach.

Is Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway baby friendly?

Yes, there are baby changing facilities. We are baby friendly, they are welcome, but there may be sudden loud noises which may upset them (such as whistles and steam locomotive safety valves).

Are all areas of the attraction accessible with a pushchair?

Yes, all areas are pushchair friendly.

Is there a restroom for mothers that are breastfeeding?

No, there are no breastfeeding rooms available.

Yes, Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway is dog friendly

Do you require dogs to be on a lead at all times?

Yes, dogs must be kept on a lead.

Are water stations available for dogs?

Yes, water stations are available for dogs.

Is there a fee for bringing a dog? If so, how much?

No, there is no fee for bringing a dog.

Is there food and drink available to buy?

Yes there is dining and snack options. We serve light refreshments (sandwiches, sausage rolls, snacks etc)

Can visitors bring their own food?

Yes, guest are allowed to bring their own food There is a picnic area outside the Footplate Café and alongside the Wildlife Garden

Are there any restrictions on food that can be brought in?

Picnics are welcome, as is take away food purchased before arrival at Sittingbourne Viaduct station. Barbecues are not welcome.

Are there picnic areas/designated spaces for eating your own food?

Yes, there are designated areas available for eating.

Is there a place to warm up food?

No, there is no place to warm up food.

How much does food and drink typically cost for a family of 4?

For a typical family of 4, food and drink costs around £10.

Are there high chairs available for kids?

Yes, high chairs are available for kids.

Yes, there is parking. Our car park is in Sittingbourne Retail Park, turn left at the little roundabout then right behind KFC. What3Words: format.fits.trains

How far is the parking from the attraction?

There is on-site parking available

Can parking spaces be pre-booked or reserved?

No, parking can not be pre-booked or reserved.

Are there accessible spaces for visitors with disabilities?

Yes, there are accessible spaces for visitors with disabilities.

Does your attraction offer private hire, for parties or events?

Yes, Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway has stated that you can hire privately for parties/events. Generally, birthday parties are held in the Footplate Café during a normal operating day, for an extra fee we can run an earlier train exclusively for your party

What type of packages do you offer?

We offer everything from birthday parties to special steamings and footplate experience courses (for adults). You can hire the Railway for the day and run trains to your requirements.

Can you rent a private room? If so, what are the costs?

No, private room hire is not available.

Is catering provided?

Yes, private catering can be provided.

What is the maximum number of guests allowed?

The maximum number of guests allowed is 400.

How frequent is public transport to the attraction?

There are trains from London Victoria and London St Pancras International which take about an hour to reach Sittingbourne, trains also come from Ramsgate, Dover Priory, Canterbury East, Faversham, Sheerness and the Medway Towns. Generally, at least hourly on Sundays and half-hourly on weekdays and Saturdays.

What are the closest public transport stops or stations to the attraction?

Sittingbourne National Rail station is close by - 5-10 minutes walk There are bus stops at Morrisons Mill Way and The Forum bus interchange opposite the national rail station

Do visitors need to pre-book time slots or tickets to get into the attraction?

No, Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway had stated that you do not need to pre-book.

Are there toilets available?

Yes, there are toilets available to the public.

Are there baby changing facilities available?

Yes, there are baby changing facilities available

Are there accessible toilets?

Yes, there are accessible toilets available There are accessible toilets at both stations. They have access from the right at Sittingbourne Viaduct and the left Kemsley Down. No special keys are required to use them.

Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway

Sittingbourne, Kent

All Ages

Railway and Transport Attractions Museums and Art Galleries Tourist Attractions Kids Birthday Parties Indoor Outdoor

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About Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway

The Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway line dates back to 1905 and runs on a 2' 6? gauge track and engine size. Some of the carriages are open to the elements but with a full roof, ideal for getting the best of both worlds.

The museum area offers a charming variety of historic wagons to study, plus a great model railway that kids (even ones your size) will love to watch in action!

Guided tours are available too to get the most information and depth form the experience, taking in behind the scenes sights like the Engine Shed, a fabulous treat for chuff heads of all ages! Or the self-guided Museum Walk passes by the insect hotel and the cockroach zone! There's more natural wildlife to be found on the nearby Kemsley Down.

A cheap couple of hours out with steam trains

We operate an hour roundtrip, although we recommend two hours, with toys for the kids to play on whilst the adults have a cup of tea or coffee and a natter in a secure and quiet environment. The trains aren't so large that they are scary and not too small that they look like toys. Starting from Sittingbourne Viaduct station is very exciting as it is an uphill start with lots of chuffing and puffing!

We have children focussed or friendly events throughout the season. One of the most exciting is Wild West Weekend at the end of July, which sees a shoot-out shortly after each train arrives at Kemsley Down station.

We often have treasure hunts and on Good Friday we have a free planting activity where children can pot a plant to take home with them.

We are also part of the Wheels of Time initative, which includes museums across Kent, where children can partake in an acitvity to earn a badge at each site, they also receive a lanyard to put the badges on over time - there are special badges for visiting a number of sites.

Get the industrial railway experience

Lots of railway traverse pretty countryside with commanding views of the mountains and valleys - the North Kent coast is not like that!

We start the journey on a kilometre-long, century-old viaduct crossing the industrial outskirts of Sittingbourne and Milton Regis before crossing Milton Creek Country Park and arriving at the very industrial station at Kemsley Down which is actually in Britain's largest paper mill.

You get a real feel for industrial railways with their not very smooth track, wagons that have been turned into coaches and it is all authentic because you will be travelling behind locomotives and in coaches that were built specifically for this railway (there are a few exceptions which were built for the Admiralty). The sights and sounds of modern British industry can be glimpsed beyond the fence whilst it's actually quite calm and relaxing outside the Footplate Café or at the wildlife garden.

Kids love trains and transport!

Not only do you have the excitement of travelling behind a real steam engine, you can also see a variety of trucks, cranes, dustcarts (on Wednesdays) and general industry.

At Kemsley Down you can see lorries driving around paper mill as well as the skip truck or industrial vehicles working alongside the station. You may even see the paper mill's fire engine!

Whilst you're at Sittingbourne Viaduct, the Raybel (a Thames sailing barge) and the Barge Museum are located a few minutes walk away.

Facilities

Toilets
Gift Shop
Onsite Parking
Accessible Toilets
Baby Changing
Wheelchair Friendly
Dog Friendly
Pushchair Friendly
Card Payments Accepted

Opening Times

Regular Times

Monday, Closed
Tuesday, Closed
Wednesday, Closed
Thursday, Closed
Friday, Closed
Saturday, Closed
Sunday, 12:30 - 16:00

Special Days

Saturday, June 29 2024: 10:30 - 21:00

Sunday, June 30 2024: 10:30 - 17:00

Saturday, July 27 2024: 11:00 - 16:00

Sunday, July 28 2024: 11:00 - 16:00

Wednesday, July 31 2024: 12:30 - 16:00

Sunday, August 4 2024: 11:00 - 16:00

Wednesday, August 7 2024: 12:30 - 16:00

Sunday, August 11 2024: 11:00 - 16:00

Wednesday, August 14 2024: 12:30 - 16:00

Sunday, August 18 2024: 11:00 - 16:00

Wednesday, August 21 2024: 12:30 - 16:00

Sunday, August 25 2024: 11:00 - 16:00

Monday, August 26 2024: 11:00 - 16:00

Wednesday, August 28 2024: 12:30 - 16:00

Please see website for details - www.sklr.net

Pricing & Tickets

General Admission

Child (3-15) : £4.00
Adult (17-18+) : £8.00
Babies and Toddlers (0-3) : Free

The fares shown are for return (there and back) tickets. Family (2 adults and up to 4 children) tickets can be purchased for £22 and senior citizens cost £7.

Single (one-way) and rover (all trains, all day) tickets are available from the ticket office. Special fares apply to Steam & Beer and Santa Specials events. Full details can be found on our website - www.sklr.net

Tickets can be purchased in advance through TicketSource.

Book in advance for cheapest tickets

Find other attractions similar to Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway by visiting our attraction tickets section.

Plan Your Visit

Typical visit time 1 - 2 hours

Suitable for Kids and Adults too

Food & Drink Options

Tea is £1.25 a mug or £2 for a pot of tea for two. Filter Coffee, hot chocolate and a cup of soup are £2 each. Bottled drinks are £2.10-2.25 and canned drinks are £1.30. Fruit Shoots £1.20 and bottle water is £1.

We have snack options for people with special dietary requirements.

FAQs

Parking

: Yes, there is parking.
Our car park is in Sittingbourne Retail Park, turn left at the little roundabout then right behind KFC. What3Words: format.fits.trains
: No, there is no parking fees.
: There is on-site parking available
: No, parking can not be pre-booked or reserved.
: Yes, there are accessible spaces for visitors with disabilities.

Toilets

: Yes, there are toilets available to the public.
: Yes, there are baby changing facilities available
: Yes, there are accessible toilets available
There are accessible toilets at both stations. They have access from the right at Sittingbourne Viaduct and the left Kemsley Down. No special keys are required to use them.

Family Friendly Options

: Yes, there are baby changing facilities.
We are baby friendly, they are welcome, but there may be sudden loud noises which may upset them (such as whistles and steam locomotive safety valves).
: Yes, all areas are pushchair friendly.
: No, there are no breastfeeding rooms available.
: Yes, Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway is dog friendly
: Yes, dogs must be kept on a lead.
: No, all dog types are allowed.
: Yes, water stations are available for dogs.
: No, there is no fee for bringing a dog.

Food & Drink

: Yes there is dining and snack options.
We serve light refreshments (sandwiches, sausage rolls, snacks etc)
: Yes, guest are allowed to bring their own food
There is a picnic area outside the Footplate Café and alongside the Wildlife Garden
: Picnics are welcome, as is take away food purchased before arrival at Sittingbourne Viaduct station. Barbecues are not welcome.
: Yes, there are designated areas available for eating.
: No, there is no place to warm up food.
: For a typical family of 4, food and drink costs around £10.
: Yes, high chairs are available for kids.

Accessibility Information

: No, all areas are not wheelchair accessible.
Some of the more remote areas, such as museum walk and the wildlife garden may be hard to access for wheelchair users, particularly the ramp up to the higher level area.
: No, wheelchairs cannot be rented.
: Yes, special assistance is available.
: No, Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway is not wheelchair friendly.
Some of the more remote areas, such as museum walk and the wildlife garden may be hard to access for wheelchair users, particularly the ramp up to the higher level area.

Tickets & Bookings

: No, Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway had stated that you do not need to pre-book.

Private Hire & Birthday Parties

: Yes, Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway has stated that you can hire privately for parties/events.
Generally, birthday parties are held in the Footplate Café during a normal operating day, for an extra fee we can run an earlier train exclusively for your party
: We offer everything from birthday parties to special steamings and footplate experience courses (for adults). You can hire the Railway for the day and run trains to your requirements.
: No, private room hire is not available.
: Yes, private catering can be provided.
: The maximum number of guests allowed is 400.

Public Transport

: There are trains from London Victoria and London St Pancras International which take about an hour to reach Sittingbourne, trains also come from Ramsgate, Dover Priory, Canterbury East, Faversham, Sheerness and the Medway Towns. Generally, at least hourly on Sundays and half-hourly on weekdays and Saturdays.
: Sittingbourne National Rail station is close by - 5-10 minutes walk There are bus stops at Morrisons Mill Way and The Forum bus interchange opposite the national rail station

Contact Details

Get Directions

The Wall
Sittingbourne Retail Park
Mill Way
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 2XD
England

Our What 3 Words to the car park is: format.fits.trains (perfect huh!) Please use ME10 2XD for sat. navs. and Apple Maps (otherwise you will be taken to the post office, the other side of town) Full directions can be found on our website www.sklr.net

Tel: 01795424899

Visit Website

Transport Information

Southeastern Mainline and Highspeed trains (change at Chatham for same platform connections off ThamesLink services)

Local buses operated by Chalkwell Buses

Verification

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This attraction has been claimed and verified. All information has been recently checked.

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Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway

About Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway

A cheap couple of hours out with steam trains

Get the industrial railway experience

Kids love trains and transport!

Facilities

Opening Times

Pricing & Tickets

Plan Your Visit

Food & Drink Options

FAQs

Parking

Toilets

Family Friendly Options

Food & Drink

Accessibility Information

Tickets & Bookings

Private Hire & Birthday Parties

Public Transport

Contact Details

Transport Information

Verification

Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway Reviews

Recent blog posts

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