Our railway is the former 1850 Elsecar branch of the South Yorkshire Railway. The single-track mineral line ran from Elsecar to Mexborough, via Cortonwood, serving local collieries and ironworks. Earl Fitzwilliam, of Wentworth Woodhouse, ran private trains from his own station at Elsecar, with the future King Edward VII a regular passenger to Doncaster Races.

 

The branch became part of the Great Central Railway and was National Coal Board operated from colliery nationalisation in 1946. The branch finally closed in 1984 when Elsecar and Cortonwood Collieries Shut.

 

Barnsley Council reopened the railway as part of their Elsecar Heritage Centre. The track had to be totally relaid and a platform built so passengers could join the train. The council called this Rockingham Station, the family name of Earl Fitzwilliam. The first steam engine to run was named Earl Fitzwilliam after the industrialist who developed the Elsecar area and built the Heritage Centre buildings as his repair works for mining equipment and coal wagons.

 

On Good Friday, 5th April 1996, the first passenger train left the new Elsecar station, beginning heritage railway operations in Elsecar.

 

20 years later the railway is still going strong and has developed considerably, now as a Charitable Trust called Elsecar Heritage Railway, running regular passenger trains, events and Footplate Experience Courses. Our track now runs to Hemingfield, with a further mile being reinstated to Cortonwood.

 

On Saturday 26th March 2016, we will celebrate 20 years of Elsecar Heritage Railway.

 

We invite you all to come along and join the celebrations to mark our 20th Anniversary as a Heritage Railway. Come and ride the line on our celebration trains and help us secure the next 20 years of running on our extended line to Cortonwood.

 

We are still planning our party, so more details will follow here nearer to the big day!

 

 

Put the date in your diary now - Saturday 26th March 2016 - Party Time!