A Great Day Out

             A DAY OUT ON THE RAILWAY

The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, whilst a miniature railway (that is what makes it fun), is operated like any other main line railway. It provides services to locals, students and of course a great many visitors and tourists each year.

Trains can carry up to 200 passengers and we pride ourselves in adding extra capacity to ensure that no-one is left behind. Our trains and stations are fully accessible to all. We encourage cyclists to use our services for part of their day and well behaved dogs are welcome.

So if you are planning a Day Out there will certainly be plenty to do. You can use the train to enjoy the scenery, which is very varied or you can stop off at one of our 7 stations to explore.

Ticketing could not be easier.  Our most popular tickets are Rovers (see below) but tickets are available between any station and any others, including singles and returns but unless it is a Special Event (marked in Red on the timetable) you do not need to book ahead (That said if you want to buy a gift voucher in advance for someone else to travel we are only too pleased to help : Please call 01797-362353)

                                                     DAYROVERS and FAMILY ROVERS

For a number of years the railway has been selling Rover tickets to make a Day Out with us as economic as possible, especially for families and to give as much flexibility for you to enjoy using the railway as you would like. There are no hidden extras.

Rovers are available every day, even on Special Event Days, when some other discount fares are not available. They are available on all trains (except private charters or pre-booked dining and Santa trains). You can break your journey at any and every station and do as many trips on the day of issue as you like.

They are valid in the Model Railway Exhibition at New Romney too.

They are priced at £14.00 Adult, £12,50 Seniors, Concessions and Armed Forces and £7.00 Children

 3 to 15 (inclusive). A FamilyRover is available priced £38.00 offering a further discount for 2 Adults and 2 Children travelling together.

                                                         PLANNING A DAY OUT     

Most customers just turn up and go and our experienced and interested staff will help with everything else from timetable reading to explaining how steam locomotives work.

Others like to do some advanced planning and we have provided printable timetables for each of our seasons and details of which timetable operates on what dates can be found in the Latest Information section of this website.

To give an idea or two we have planned a day or two ourselves as examples:

Yellow service.

Arrive at Hythe station at 10.00, purchase tickets and then head straight on to the platform to see the locomotive arrive, move to the turntable, turn, collect water and return to the front of the train to await departure. Then the driver will make up his fire or oil the engine but he will be happy to chat as he goes about his work. What's more he is not towering above you as on larger engines and children and adults alike find this fascinating and informative as they peer into the tiny cab.

The train leaves at 10.30 and takes you to New Romney through the beautiful, green and sheep filled fields of Romney Marsh, much of it below sea level. On arrival at New Romney at 11.07, the headquarters of the railway, trains on the yellow timetable stop for an extended period to enable  passengers to take refreshment or visit the Model Railway Exhibition, complete with 20+ trains operating and other fascinating displays.

The train leaves again at 11.35 after the other train has come off the single line from Dungeness and heads out through the outskirts of New Romney and so on to the shingle that typifies the coast here and expands to become Dungeness, one of the largest areas of shingle in the world. The plant life is unusual and the bird and insect life accordingly different. Boardwalks take you down to the sea and from there the English Channel shipping lanes are very clear. The train arrives at Dungeness at 12.05

However instead you may prefer to climb the adjacent lighthouse which is open many of the days that trains run (a separate entrance fee applies as the lighthouse is independently owned).

Alternatively or as well we have on the station our Light Railway Cafe serving excellent Fish and Chips and many other drinks and snacks and our shop selling seaside and railway souvenirs .

The return train is at 1.00 (or 2.30 if you have become hooked and wanted to explore more; You can decide once you get there)

Arrival back at Hythe will be at 2.12 (or 3.50 if you catch the later train)

Green service

Trains leave Hythe every hour from 10.30 and the journey to Dungeness takes just over an hour.

Once there  most customers prefer to catch a later train back and the stay then of 1 hour 20 minutes (rather than the alternative 20 minutes) allows time for lunch and more.

Arrival at New Romney is then 1.30 (if you caught the 10.30) and this is a good time to visit the Model Railway Exhibition and to browse our extensive shop range. The next train will be in one hour. This heads back either direct to Hythe (3.10) or allows a further stop at Dymchurch, an interesting seaside village with shops and a funfair. Arrival then would be later at Hythe at 4.12.

Further Information

For current information, last minute changes regarding times of trains and prices, or if you require further assistance from the RH&DR then:

• email direct to New Romney
• Latest News & Events
• The Romney latest information
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• Telephone: 01797 362353
• Fax: 01797 363591