East Kent Railway Trust

“Heritage railway based at Shepherds well near Dover in Kent. The railway is mainly focused on heritage diesel engines and passenger trains. The line once ran to a coal mine and some time before that also formed part of a rural passenger line. They have two steam locos but these are not in service at this time. The line now runs for about 2 miles to Eythorne . Here you will find an old signal box to explore and the only surviving class 365 EMU train which is now home to the station buffet and restaurant. The trip takes around 15 minutes each way and runs through some nice countryside, there is also a tunnel along the way. On the day of my visit they were running a class 142 Pacer ( rail bus ) which is a 40 year old two coach diesel train. They also have a class 73 ED loco that pulls ex Gatwick Express coaches. There's quite a lot of other engines and rolling stock there in the process if or waiting to be restored to running order. There is a narrow gauge line that does a trip through the woods which cost £2 per person plus a 7.5 inch gauge train that does a short run and costs just £1 per person. There is also a model railway club on site that you can visit as part of the entrance fee. For £12 you can ride on the main service all day. There are some old vehicles on site,a woodland walk,a small museum and a shop. You can eat at the colonels diner which has indoor seating or you can sit outside or in a garden area next to the line. I found everyone there very friendly and ready to talk about the railway etc. The driver of the Pacer unit allowed me to photograph the cab whilst the train was stationary. They do offer driving experiences too! Dogs are welcome pretty much everywhere and I'm sure they'll love the woodland walk. There is free parking on site and the railway is right next to Shepherdswell BR station. The site is open Tuesday to Sunday with trains in service on Sundays and some bank holidays. There are occasional special events which are posted on their website. In summary, this is not a big pish heritage railway but it's very friendly,inexpensive and if not for them and their dedication many of the trains and carriages here would have been lost forever”

“Went on a holiday and they opened at 10 am. Had a train ride at 10.45 am at a cost of 2 pounds per person. We all enjoyed it a lot and it’s a definitely worth train ride. Toilets were clean and free parking. A place to enjoy by the kids. Recommended for a half day visit.”

“Such a lovely place. We had an amazing reasonably priced lunch in the cafe before Santa train. They didn't pack people in and although sold out there was lots of space. The elf on the train was very enthusiastic. If you are going make sure you visit the cafe.”

“Great place for young and old. Two 00 layouts to look at. Also full-sized diesel engine ride up the line for about 20 minutes with a stop over at the other end, that we went on. Also two smaller gauge railways you can ride on. Woodland walk too.”