Name: Downpatrick and County Down Railway
Rating: 5.0

Downpatrick and County Down Railway

Market Street, Downpatrick, County Down, BT30 6LZ, Northern Ireland

1-90 Years

Paid

Website

Contact

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Description

Downpatrick and County Down Railway is Ireland’s only full-size heritage railway with multiple destinations, located in the heart of Downpatrick. It offers visitors the chance to travel on vintage trains through the scenic drumlin countryside and experience rail travel as it once was. The railway is an award-winning museum and tourist attraction celebrating Northern Ireland’s rich railway heritage.

Visitors can take a vintage steam or heritage diesel train journey to Inch Abbey and back through the countryside. Activities include exploring the railway museum, the carriage gallery with restored and unrestored carriages, footplate rides with the driver, driving a model railway, visiting Inch Abbey, shopping in the gift shop, and enjoying games, films, and dressing up in period costumes. The railway also hosts family events throughout the year, from St Patrick’s Day to Christmas, and offers buffet carriages for light food and drinks on running days.

Membership prices are £23 for adults, £16 for concessions, and £57 for families (two adults and two children). Membership supports the railway and helps preserve Irish standard gauge railway heritage.

Overall, Downpatrick and County Down Railway offers a nostalgic and educational journey into Ireland’s railway past. It combines train rides, hands-on experiences, and historic locations in one attraction. This is an ideal visit for families, railway enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a unique heritage experience in Northern Ireland.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

Take the train to Inch Abbey: Climb aboard our vintage train, hauled by a steam locomotive or a heritage diesel, for the trip to Inch Abbey and back. There’s plenty to see and do before, during and after your journey.
Visit the museum: The museum upstairs in the station building at Downpatrick houses a fascinating collection of relics telling the story of Irish Railways in general, and also a unique collection of Belfast & County Down Railway artefacts.
Explore the carriage gallery: We have a unique collection of old carriages and locomotives in the Carriage Gallery building. We have everything from beautifully restored carriages to unrestored examples that need a LOT of work to get them running again. You can also play games, watch films, and the kids can dress up in period costume or railway uniform.
Visit Inch Abbey: The ruins of the ancient Cistercian Abbey can be reached with an easy five minute stroll from our Inch Abbey station. You can explore the ruins, take in the views, and in the summer it’s a lovely spot for a picnic. It was also used as a location for the TV Series Game of Thrones.
Enjoy a footplate ride with the driver: Have you ever wanted to experience life on the footplate of a steam locomotive? Or fancy a trip in the cab of a diesel locomotive? This is all part of the experience at our railway.
Drive a train on the model railway: Located off the main platform in Downpatrick, kids are very welcome to visit Dessie’s model railway, where they can try their hand at driving everything from Thomas and Percy to the latest Irish Rail locomotives.
Buy a souvenir in the gift shop: Located just inside the front door of our station in Downpatrick, you can buy everything from toys for the kids to serious books and gifts for the grown-ups. Keep an eye out for the vintage cash register and clock.

Facilities

Parking: Parking available.
Food & Drinks: On any running day you can visit our buffet carriages for tea, drinks and some light snacks. It is parked at Inch Abbey for Easter and summer running days, or the Loop Platform at Halloween or Christmas.

What to see

We also have an interesting collection of railway artefacts connected with the BCDR:

Signals and signalling equipment and diagrams
Track and permanent way equipment
Permanent way tools
Old-style Edmondson tickets
Original railway signs and posters

Website

Contact

Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Membership

Adult: £23
Family (two adults, two kids): £57
Concession: £16

Pricing URL: https://www.downrail.co.uk/join/

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Visit the website for timing information.

Address: Market Street, Downpatrick, County Down, BT30 6LZ, Northern Ireland

Post Code: BT30 6LZ

Council: Downpatrick

County: Down

Our main station is in the centre of Downpatrick, with ample free car parking, and an easy walk from the Translink bus station. Our railway is easy to get to by car – it’s a mere 40 minutes drive from Belfast.

Public Transport: Our station in Downpatrick is a few minutes’ walk from the Translink bus station. You can see our railway when you step off the bus, across the carparks from the rear entrance to the bus station. For buses from Belfast Europa Bus Centre (Great Victoria Street), take Service 15, 215 or 515 to Downpatrick.
Driving from Belfast and the north: From Belfast, take the A24 (Ormeau-Saintfield Road) and follow the signs for Newcastle/Downpatrick. At the Carryduff roundabout, take the A7 for Downpatrick. You will pass through the villages of Saintfield and Crossgar. When you reach the roundabout at the outskirts of Downpatrick follow the signs for Clough/Newcastle (the A25). Make sure you make a right turn at the second set of traffic lights in the town centre into Market Street. When in Market Street, go straight across at the traffic lights, and watch out for the Translink bus station on your right on the edge of town. Just past the bus station there is a filling station on your left, and you will see a brown tourist direction sign on the right hand side marked ‘Railway Museum’. Turn right and the railway station is in front of you across the car park.
Driving from Newry and the south: If you are travelling from the south, the quickest route is the A25 road from Newry to Castlewellan. For a more scenic, but longer, drive around the coast and through the Mourne countryside follow the signs for the A2 road to Newcastle. From either of these towns follow the signs for Clough or Downpatrick. At the Clough roundabout take the A25 Downpatrick road. As you approach Downpatrick, watch out for ASDA supermarket on the left. Just past this you will see a brown sign marked ‘Railway Museum’. Turn left and the railway station is right in front of you.