Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway

04/09/2026

We’ve had a postcard from ‘Premier’ which is currently at Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway. ‘Melior’ will hauling trains on Sunday at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm from Sittingbourne Viaduct station. www.sklr.net

23/08/2026

Did you know that sunny days are the worst for the Railway? It means there will be very few passengers. Steam trains ARE running!

We still have the giant and garden games to play with, the museum, the air conditioned Footplate Café and shop plus there’s the opportunity to step out onto the King Charles III Coastal Path - just let the café staff know when you go and when you get back so we don’t lock you out!

Trains depart Sittingbourne Viaduct station at 12pm 1pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm and there’s plenty of space on them!

Visit www.sklr.net for more information.

Following the Government Alert regarding the nationwide risk of wildfires, diesel locomotive ‘Victor’ will be standing in for steam locomotive ‘Premier’ on Wednesday 19th August 2026.

22/08/2026

Steam trains will be running again on Sunday 23rd August 2026 and the even better news is that ‘Melior’ will be operating them!

‘Melior’ was taken out of service in 2024 after the Three Brazils Weekend, the loco needed a new boiler. Thanks to an unexpected bequest, we were able to buy a brand new welded boiler, which also means we have a spare Brazil boiler.

‘Melior’ passed the requisite boiler and operational tests on Friday and the weather has ‘improved’ so will be running in passenger service from Sunday.

Trains will depart Sittingbourne Viaduct station at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm.

Trains will depart Kemsley Down station at 12.35pm, 1.35pm, 2.35pm, 3.35pm & 4.45pm.

The journey will take about 15 minutes each way.

There’s no need to book tickets in advance but there are 20 tickets per train available if you wish to (www.ticketsource.com/sittingbourne-kemsley-light-railway), there will be plenty of tickets available at the ticket office.

For more information visit www.sklr.net

18/08/2026

Due to the fire risk, we will be running the emergency diesel timetable again tomorrow (19th August 2026) so trains will depart Sittingbourne Viaduct station at 12pm, 1.30pm & 3pm.

Trains will return from Kemsley Down to Sittingbourne Viaduct at 12.45pm, 2.15pm & 3.45pm. The journey will take 20 minutes each way.

The locomotive will be ‘Victor’, Bowaters’ only narrow gauge diesel locomotive on the Paper Railway.

All the usual facilities will be open at Kemsley Down and we still have the giant and garden games to play with.

The weather forecast shows rain later in the week so we should be back to steam on Sunday but be sure to check our website on Saturday to confirm.

16/08/2026

Sunday 16th August 2026 - Don’t forget we’re not running steam today (for the first time this season) so we have amended the timetable:

Trains will depart Sittingbourne Viaduct station at 12pm, 1.30pm and 3pm.

Trains will depart Kemsley Down station at 12.45pm, 2.15pm and 3.45pm.

The journey will take 20 minutes.

Diesel locomotive ‘Victor’ will be hauling trains, the 1953-built Hudson-Hunslet locomotive was Bowaters only narrow gauge diesel on this network. It has been our workhorse since preservation and has racked up a lot of mileage since 1969!

Kemsley Down will be open as usual with the Footplate Café, shop, museum and giant games all available.

15/08/2026

Following the Government Alert regarding the nationwide risk of wildfires, diesel locomotive ‘Victor’ will be standing in for steam locomotive ‘Premier’ on Sunday 16 August 2026.

Trains will depart Sittingbourne Viaduct station at 12pm, 1.30pm & 3pm. The journey will take around 20 minutes. Passengers who have pre-booked will be notified separately.

Trains depart at the time shown above, so please make sure you arrive about 15 minutes before that. Advanced booking (by 5pm the day before travel) is available for only 20 seats on all trains but tickets can be purchased on the day by card or cash at the ticket office.

Take time to chill-out, enjoy the short steam train ride to Kemsley Down, behind the first locomotive that operated the line in 1905.

This is an industrial steam railway so you will carried over the industrial outskirts of Sittingbourne and Milton Regis on the century-old Milton Regis Viaduct, then through Milton Creek Country Park and under the Swale Way road bridge before crossing the marshes into Kemsley Paper Mill, where Kemsley Down station is located.

Kemsley Down is a working site, we are currently working on ‘Melior’, ‘Dougal’ and ‘Superb’ in the engine shed and our track gang often work on Wednesdays and Sundays so you may see them on the lineside or at Kemsley Down.

The air-conditioned Footplate Café, railway shop, museum, picnic area, wildlife area, museum walk and garden railway can all be found here. The garden railway is only operational when there are enough volunteers.

We are having giant fun with Giant Ker-Plunk and Giant Guess Who? And we have child-safe axe throwing! There is a crate of outdoor games for fair weather days, if you can’t find them, please ask in the Footplate Café.

We recommend allowing two hours for your visit, this will give you plenty of time to look around, have a drink and maybe venture out onto the King Charles III England Coastal Path (not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies) and look across to the Isle of Sheppey and Little Murston Nature Reserve. The marshes on either side of the Railway are freshwater and saltwater which attracts different birds and other wildlife, Milton Creek is on the saltwater side.

Trains return from Kemsley Down to Sittingbourne Viaduct station at 12.45pm, 2.15pm & 3.45pm. Feel free to return on any train.

11/08/2026

Just in case anyone needs someone to talk to.

09/08/2026

Trains are running on Sundays, Wednesday and the Bank Holiday Monday throughout August. www.sklr.net

09/08/2026

We are running trains today (Sunday 9th August) - still running with steam as we can manage the locomotive’s fire at either end of the line, minimising the risk of fire.

‘Premier’ is running today, trains at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm. We also have giant games and outdoor games so there’s time to rest and relax.

We’re running Wednesdays, Sundays and the Bank Holiday this month.