Frequently Asked Questions

We recommend passengers pre book standard railway and first-class tickets online to avoid disappointment on your preferred date/time of travel.

Tickets are available to purchase up to 1 hour in advance of travel online and at the ticket office on the day of travel.

Online purchasers - please select your carriage and seats for the outward and return journey. The booking will not process until both the outbound and inbound journeys have been selected. Both grey bars will turn red once completed. Carriage types available are Joan Pullman carriage, 1st Class, fully open, half-open and closed. Please note Joan Pullman and 1st Class carriages are not available on all trains.

You will receive an e-ticket along with information about your visit at the time of booking. Please check your spam/junk folder if the email is not visible in your inbox. Passengers are required to book a departure time and carriage type for each leg of their journey.

The departure point for the start of your return Railway adventure is either Ravenglass or Dalegarth station. Single tickets are available between Ravenglass and Dalegarth stations.

Tickets for intermediate stations cannot be pre-purchased online. Please ask at the ticket office for availability on the day. 

If I book a carriage type and then change my mind - is it possible to change my booking? We are sorry but it is not possible to change your carriage choice once you have made a booking.

Can I get a refund if the weather is bad? Date and time tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable unless services are not operating. Please note an admin fee of 10% charge may be applied to amend bookings within 48 hours of your visit. For cancellations 10% admin fee will apply. 

• To find out about our latest offers and promotions, please visit our 'What's On' page, where you'll find more information on any promotions running at the railway.
• ATOC Card Holders - Discount can be applied by pre-booking your seats with us in advance. Please call us on 01229 717171 to book.  
• I have a Heritage Railway Association privilege card; can I get my 75% travel discount? Please contact us directly on 01229 717171 to book tickets in advance. 
• Local Resident's Pass Holders - Your discount code will allow you to book online.
• Voucher or discount offer issued by a third party such as RailRiders or the Camping and Caravan Club - Please visit their websites for details on how to purchase online using the promo code. 
• Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway Preservation Society Members - Please call the office on 01229 717171 to book seats, we do accept walk up for society members, tickets subject to availability. 

Please note that passengers joining at intermediate stations are for single fare journeys only. If you purchase a return ticket, you must start your journey at your departure point as shown on your ticket. Failure to start at the departure point does not guarantee joining at an intermediate station. Passengers who fail to turn up at departure points risk losing their seat allocation for that journey leg.

The intermediate stations are request stops only. Please signal clearly to the driver as the train approaches.

We cannot guarantee that there will be space on all trains for passengers at this station. If the train does not have an empty compartment, it will not stop.

Transactions can be made via cash or card.

It is not possible to book tickets in advance to or from intermediate stations. 

We have fully open, semi open, and enclosed carriages available on all standard trains. First class and Joan Observation carriage seats are available on selected times. Find out more about our range of carriages here.

‘Ruth’ carriage is for Cream Tea on the Move and Director Saloon Hamper experiences only. Must be pre-booked, you can find details here https://ravenglass-railway.co.uk/gift-experiences

All standard carriages have screens in place to separate compartments.

Our 'through ticket' with Northern Rail is available. Tickets can be bought at mainline stations or onboard Northern trains. Please note that we will allocate seats to Northern Rail ticket holders on the next available train at Ravenglass ticket office. Please present your Northern Rail ticket at the ticket desk on arrival. Please ensure you have cross-checked both ours and Northern's current timetables to plan your journey.

Dogs are permitted on the trains, in the gift shops, ticket offices and the lower floors of the Turntable and Fellbites cafés.

Please keep your dog on a short lead. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout the site.

Dog tickets are £2.50 for the day and can be pre-booked online.

Treat your furry friend to a year of adventure with our Dog Rover Season Ticket! For just £20, enjoy 12 months of train rides and pawsome walkies in the Eskdale valley. On their first visit, each lucky pup receives a dog season ticket and a stylish bandana. Plus, £2 from every ticket supports Oaktrees Animal Sanctuary and Wainwright Shelter. Give your dog the gift of fun and help animals in need. Purchase yours here.

Dogs are NOT permitted at selected events or in Joan Pullman Observation Carriage or 'Ruth' Director Saloon (except assistance dogs). 

There are ‘paws for a drink’ water bowls around the site or please ask a staff member. 

• The Turntable (Ravenglass station) and Fellbites licensed cafés (Dalegarth station) provide eat in and takeaway service. Please note opening times and menus will vary on different timetables. Please note you do not have to buy a train ticket to visit the cafes or gift shops. We have a cup refill policy in place. Get 25p off when you bring a refill cup for your next brew purchase.
  Pick up one of our loyalty cards and get a free cuppa on us when you spend on five separate occasions and redeem your card at either Fellbites or Turntable cafés.

• There are railway souvenir shops at Ravenglass and Dalegarth stations, ideal for those important ‘thank you for looking after the cat’ gift or ‘don’t forget about us’ branded souvenir items. You can pre book our click and collect railway souvenir bundles here https://ravenglass-eskdale-railway.myshopify.com – at least 48 hours in advance.

• The Ratty Arms in Ravenglass serves food and drinks daily, using the finest local suppliers and breweries to make up the menu. More information can be found here https://ravenglass-railway.co.uk/plan-your-visit/food-and-drink/the-ratty-arms. 

The Ravenglass Railway Museum is open from 9am daily whilst trains are running. Entry is FREE but donations are welcomed to help support the preservation of artefacts, support local exhibitions, and encourage visitor engagement with interactive exhibits. 

What can I do on my day out at Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway? There is lots to see and do from both Ravenglass & Dalegarth Stations and everything in between.  Please view our day out ideas page for some inspiration: https://ravenglass-railway.co.uk/plan-your-visit/things-to-do.

We have two large play areas located at Ravenglass & Dalegarth. Dogs are not permitted within the enclosed play areas. Children must be supervised.

You are welcome to bring a picnic. We have some outdoor seating at Ravenglass and Dalegarth stations. Please take all your rubbish home with you and recycle. Why not buy an ice cream or hot sausage roll to add to your picnic treat too from our station cafes. 

Two other wonderful heritage attractions on our doorstep include the Eskdale Mill and Muncaster Castle & Bird of Prey Show. Please head to their respective websites for information and opening times.

Muncaster Castle https://www.muncaster.co.uk/

The Eskdale Mill https://www.eskdalemill.co.uk/

• I have a Lake District Estates Gifted gift voucher how can I book a ticket online? We ask you to call us 01229 717171 with your voucher details and we can book you on to a train timeslot.
• I have a Cream Tea or Ruth Experience voucher issued by BuyAGift or Virgin Experiences; how do I redeem? Please call us on 01229 717171 so we can book you in. We cannot accept walk-up cream tea or experience requests. 

We have FREE Wi-Fi available in both station cafes, so you can surf the web whilst watching the trains go by.

The Ratty Arms pub also has free Wi-Fi available. 

Toilets (including accessible toilets) and baby changing facilities are located on platform 1 at Ravenglass station and on the platform and lower floor of the café at Dalegarth station.

Please find more information regarding our facilities below.

Car park tickets can be purchased at Ravenglass and Dalegarth stations, at the machine by car or by using the Flowbird car parking app available from Apple and Android stores. At Dalegarth you can use the free Wi-Fi at the station to download the app.

• Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, Ravenglass, Cumbria, CA18 1SW
• Dalegarth for Boot Station, Boot, Holmrook, Cumbria, CA19 1TG

Our station maps will help you to ‘plan your visit’.

https://ravenglass-railway.co.uk/files/documents/accessmap-mainline.pdf

https://ravenglass-railway.co.uk/files/documents/accessmap-dalegarth.pdf

Our full access information can be found here https://ravenglass-railway.co.uk/plan-your-visit/accessibility

There is an accessible carriage on each train. Pre-booking is essential. Please contact our office on 01229 717171 to arrange this.

If you would like to bring a bike on the train, please call us to book in advance to ensure you can be accommodated. Wheelchairs take priority. Bikes are charged at £4 per bike.

Please note there are no bike racks at the main stations – there are some bike storage facilities at Ravenglass mainline station.

More information can be found here https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/ravenglass-for-eskdale/

There is 1 x 22kW EV charging point at Ravenglass and 1 x 7kW Dalegarth stations. Charges apply for parking and charging. Please download the Monta App in advance of your visit and follow the instructions to charge your vehicle. Please note that Ravenglass & Eskdale railway do not manage the app services. Please contact Monta directly via the app if you have any queries or issues.

All holiday guests in the Camping Coaches & Hilton Cottage are still encouraged to check-in via GuestStay. Please do not enter the accommodation before the time on your booking confirmation. Check in 4pm and check out is 10am. We need time to prepare and clean properties between departures and arrivals of guests.

Find out more about our unique railway-themed self-catering accommodation below.

Please note that you may be refused access if you appear to be over-intoxicated.

Thank you for your patience and we hope to see you soon.