Tanfield named best railway in the country!

The Tanfield Railway in County Durham has been named the best railway in the country at a prestigious awards ceremony.

The line, which celebrated its 300th anniversary during 2025, was presented with the ‘Railway of the Year’ award at the Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards. The event in the North Wales coastal resort of Llandudno on March 7 saw more than 300 people from heritage rail organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland come together to find out the winners in more than a dozen categories.

But it was Tanfield that walked away with the most coveted prize of the evening. Judges were impressed by the big increases in passenger numbers, and national media attention for the celebrations of the railway’s 300 th anniversary.

David Watchman, Tanfield Railway General Manager said, "To be named Railway of the Year is an absolute credit to each and every one of our volunteers. There was high praise from leading figures across the sector for what we’ve been achieving.
 

"This is the award every one of the UK’s 180 plus heritage railways wants to win. So to be bringing the award back to the North East is amazing. I hope it can be a real catalyst to go on and achieve even more.”

It was a double celebration for Tanfield however, as the railway’s diesel locomotive foreman, Ben Wilson, was also the joint winner of the Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer Award. Ben has been a passionate and committed volunteer at the line since the age of 12 and he has become a key figure at the line, not only using his technical skills to restore and maintain locomotives, but also as one of the railway’s youngest locomotive drivers.

The award marks a historic back-to-back win in the young volunteers category for Tanfield. Ben follows in the footsteps of fellow volunteer, Elise Campbell, who won in the same category during 2025. It is believed to be the first time in the history of the HRA awards that a single organisation has secured the Young Volunteer title two years in succession.

“It’s an incredible achievement for Ben,” Mr Watchman, who also started out on the line as a young volunteer, added. “Running a heritage railway isn’t just about engines and track – it’s the people who keep our history alive. We have a strong track record of engaging with younger volunteers and nurturing them into future leaders – it’s so rewarding to see that recognised on a national stage.”

The railway came within a whisker of making it an historic hat-trick at the 2026 awards. It was also Highly Commended for its Tanfield300 events, which commemorated three centuries of railway history on the route. Tanfield was narrowly pipped to the post by a railway made famous by a piece of screen history, the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway with its ‘Railway Children Theatre Show’.

Heritage Railway Association Chairman, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, said: “Running a heritage railway is never easy, but these awards have proven without a shadow of doubt that passionate people like those at Tanfield can overcome the challenges to preserve our heritage.

“This was the biggest awards we’ve ever seen, with a record breaking number of entries, so winning with the most hotly contested title of them all should not be underestimated. 

“It’s particularly pleasing to see a North East railway with such a strong track record of developing young volunteers pick up these awards. The region was at the forefront of developing the railways that we know today, so it’s great to see a County Durham line leading the way for heritage rail too.”

The Tanfield Railway holds a unique place in railway history. Following the route of the early 1700s Tanfield Waggonway trackbed, it predates the Stockton and Darlington Railway by a century. Originally built to transport coal from the Durham coalfields to the River Tyne, it has evolved from a wooden waggonway to a world-class heritage railway attraction. Today it’s claimed as the world’s oldest railway and remains a living monument to the North East’s industrial revolution, preserved for future generations by the very people who have now been recognised as the best in the country.

Despite the national recognition, there is no time to relax for the volunteers at Tanfield. The line has already started its 2026 operating season, with steam train rides operating every Sunday and Bank Holiday until October, offering visitors the chance to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the world’s oldest railway.