Railway re-opens at Beamish
It’s full steam ahead at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North as Rowley Station reopens for
passenger rides as part of nine-day transport event.
The Festival of Transport takes place at the museum from 24 th May to 1 st June, featuring a variety
of visiting vehicles as well as the museum’s own transport, and the first steam-hauled passenger
train rides at Rowley Station since 2020. Visitors to the County Durham open air museum will be
able to see Rowley Station in action with Victorian steam locomotive Manning Wardle ‘Sir Berkeley’
hauling passenger trains along the demonstration line.
Paul Jarman, Director of Development – Transport, Industry & Design, said: “We’re really looking
forward to the Festival of Transport and welcoming visitors back to ride on the trains at Rowley
Station again.
“The absence of a working passenger train at Rowley Station has been keenly felt since the
operation was suspended at the point of the museum’s closure due to the COVID-19 restrictions five
years ago. It was important to us that we could get things moving again for 2025, with it being a year
of national celebration and recognition of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825
and the subsequent colossal impact that the railways have made to social and technological
development, globally, ever since.
“From Saturday, 24th May the station will once again come to life! Classic Victorian steam
locomotive, Manning Wardle-built ‘Sir Berkeley’ will be hauling passenger trains along the
demonstration line at Rowley for all nine days of the Festival of Transport.
“The revival of Rowley Station and the short demonstration railway will no doubt be very
popular, we hope that visitors will enjoy Rowley Station as an operating exhibit once again”
2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, with Railway 200
celebrations taking place across the country. Beamish Museum will be giving a nod to the
celebration throughout the year, starting with the Festival of Transport.
Paul added: “The 2025 Festival of Transport is part of our contribution to the national
programme of events that celebrate 200 years of railway innovation and success.”
As well as daily steam train rides at Rowley Station, there will be an array of visiting transport and
vehicles from the Beamish fleet.
There’ll also be a Beamish Museum transport quiz for families to take part in – how well do you
know your trams and buses? From Saturday, 24 th to Monday, 26 th May, the museum’s fleet of buses
will be joined by some visiting vehicles.
On Tuesday, 27 th and Wednesday, 28 th May, see vintage and veteran cars and motorcycles based
in The 1900s Town and travelling around the museum site.
On Saturday, 31st May and Sunday, 1st June, see Coffee Pot No. 1 and Keighley Gas Works No. 2
in action, alongside Glyder and Samson in action at The Colliery railway, alongside two visiting
narrow-gauge locomotives, Velinheli and Sybil. Plus, our bus fleet will be joined by a number of post-
war vintage buses and there will be a model bus exhibition in the 1950s welfare hall.
Visitors to Beamish Museum can also transport themselves to the golden age of cinema with a
nostalgic afternoon in the museum’s recreation of the Grand cinema, from Ryhope in Sunderland.
On Sunday, 31 st May, visitors can enjoy The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953) which sees a group of
volunteers take over their local passenger train service (against bus company resistance) when the
government announces its closure. Cinema screenings are separate ticketed events. For film listings
and tickets, visit www.beamish.org.uk/cinema.
As well as the Festival of Transport event, visitors can explore the rest of the open air museum,
including the beautiful Georgian house and gardens and do a spot of Edwardian shopping. Taste
delicious traditional fish and chips, explore The 1940s Farm and take a trip to the 1950s cinema –
there’s something for everyone to enjoy at Beamish Museum.
Following the Festival of Transport, Rowley Station will run each weekend of the local school
summer holidays.
There’s more for transport fans to look forward to at Beamish Museum. The replica of Steam
Elephant will return to Beamish for passenger rides at The 1820s Waggonway and, during the
October Half Term holidays (25th October to 2nd November), activity will focus on The Waggonway
and the early railway collection there.
The event comes as Beamish is celebrating being shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year
2025, the world’s largest museum prize. The museum is among five finalists for the award, with the
winner to be announced in June.
The Festival of Transport is included in admission and is free for Beamish Unlimited Pass holders
and Friends of Beamish members – pay once and visit free for a year! For tickets and more
information, visit www.beamish.org.uk .
