Tenterden - Northiam - Bodiam
 
Kent & East Sussex Railway

Some of our most frequently asked questions.....

Many of our most frequently asked questions are shown below, but if you still need some assistance please contact us

Child tickets are available for 3-15 year olds on most trains. For certain special events, such as ‘Santa Specials’, child ticket validity may be different – please check the event page. The evening Wealden Pullman is unsuitable for children and Sunday Lunch services are unsuitable for children under the age of five.
Subject to availability, discounted tickets are available online until midnight on the day preceding. Tickets will also be available from the Ticket Office at the station, right up until just a few minutes before departure, subject of course to there being seats available – don’t be late!
The locomotive rota is shown at https://kesr.org.uk/our-heritage/loco-roster/ – but please note that it is subject to change as engines are examined each day for their fitness to run.
Freedom tickets are great value as they offer unlimited travel on the day of issue - you are welcome to break your journey at any intermediate station, but do make sure you leave yourself time to complete your journey on a later train! Please note that Freedom tickets do not reserve accommodation on any particular departure - you may find that some trains are very busy.
Single & Return tickets that are booked for specific departures are only valid as booked. If you wish to alter your booking, please contact us as soon as possible. We regret that we are unable to guarantee availability on a different train from that which you have booked and, where such a change is possible, an administration charge will be made.
Our facilities have been carefully designed with the mobility impaired visitor in mind. We have a specially designed coach, called Petros, which is fitted with ramped wheelchair access, wide aisles, moveable seating and an accessible toilet. Petros is currently undergoing refurbishment, so please do get in touch with us and we'll be pleased to offer every assistance. There is full wheelchair access to the Shop and Colonel Stephens Railway Museum at Tenterden Town Station. We recommend that visitors with special needs or specific requirements telephone our Booking Office (01580 765155) for friendly assistance: accommodation may be reserved by telephone on any train service at no additional cost.
The K&ESR is the registered charity that owns and operates the line between Tenterden and Bodiam. The Rother Valley Railway is a separate organisation setup to rebuild the line between Bodiam and Robertsbridge. The RVR have made much progress in the project and you can find out the latest news by visiting their website at http://www.rvr.org.uk/
Some trains consist of heritage diesel powered stock. These trains are marked accordingly in our timetables and our volunteers make every effort to run to the timetable as advertised. Heritage steam engines can be unpredictable however. If a loco breaks down we will always do our best to provide a replacement service, but this may be diesel hauled as it takes many hours to raise steam on another loco. Please refer to our Terms & Conditions
During long periods of hot weather, we may need to add a diesel engine to a steam service so that it does not have to work as hard, reducing the risk of a lineside fire. During extreme hot weather we may be required to replace steam locos with diesel haulage to prevent the risk of fire. Follow us on social media (links at the top of this page) for the latest updates.
When our standard timetabled trains are running to Bodiam, a small number of bikes can often be accommodated in the Guards Van without charge. You are welcome to put collapsible buggies in the Guards Van, but they cannot be accommodated at your seat. During Special Events we often provide a Buggy Park as there’s no room on the trains, but please check the relevant event page for details.
We welcome dogs when operating our standard timetables to Bodiam. However during Special Events restrictions may apply, so please check the relevant event page for details.
Please note that dogs (except for registered assistance dogs) are not permitted in the Colonel Stephens Railway Museum or in catering areas. Please ensure that your dog is kept under control on a short lead at all times. For the benefit of all visitors, dogs must not be allowed to climb on the seats or tables.
First Class accommodation is available in many trains for a small supplement payable to the Ticket Inspector onboard the train.
Our locomotive engineering workshop at Rolvenden Station is not normally open to visitors, but there is a free-entry viewing gallery available. Organised tours of the loco works are available as part of our popular Behind the Scenes tours. Our Carriage & Wagon workshop is at Tenterden and is also available for viewing as part of the Behind the Scenes tour.
We welcome you to photograph our railway – why not share your images with us on our social media pages? There are a few simple rules to observe so that you remain safe:
  • Never go into non-public areas or onto the railway track
  • Do not lean out of the train when it’s moving
  • If you’re crossing the line at a public footpath crossing, take care of uneven surfaces and cross directly – don’t linger
Drones can provide some stunning images, but they should never be used within 50m of the railway line, a person, vehicle, building or structure, or overhead groups of people at any height. Read the simple guidance HERE

The Civil Aviation Authority have released a very simple guide called The Drone Code which can be found HERE

For Drones over 250g contact us in advance by calling 01580 765155 > Option 3 > Option 4

For all commercial photography and filming of the K&ESR, take a look at our Film Location services
When our usual trains to Bodiam are running, a Ticket or Platform ticket provides access to the station facilities and can be purchased at the Booking Office. During some special events we are unable to provide Platform tickets.
The vast majority of our staff are volunteers. We have a small number of paid staff, but most of these volunteer too! We welcome help from people of all backgrounds, but you do need to join as a member of the K&ESR first. Find out more about volunteering at https://kesr.org.uk/volunteering/
Single and return tickets are available at Tenterden, Northiam & Bodiam station Ticket Offices for journeys between any station. Although there are just five K&ESR stations, there are many possible permutations of tickets. Our staff will be pleased to help you make the most of your time with us. Please allow 20 minutes to purchase or collect your tickets at the station. At Northiam Station, access to Platform 2 is via a level foot crossing that closes 5 minutes before a train is due. For this reason, it is not possible to change between trains when two trains are passing simultaneously.
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