A trip on a South Wales steam train – Blaenavon’s Heritage Railway

A trip on Blaenavon’s Heritage Railway is a brilliant idea for a family adventure. We visited recently as part of a multi-generational family holiday in the Brecon Beacons, with 18 of us aged from five years old to 75 taking the journey around the UNESCO listed Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site.

With traditional-style carriages, the steam blowing and the horn tooting, it felt like something out of an old film, as if you’ve stepped back in time. The railway is run entirely by an incredible group of volunteers who were only too happy to answer questions about how the train worked.

It’s definitely worth arriving at the station a little earlier than your departure time to see how the volunteers prepare the train for its journey, such as filling up with water from a giant hose and coal being shovelled to fire the train.

We were all also encouraged to step off at one station to see the engine coupling and uncoupling when we needed to change direction, giving a fascinating insight into how it operates.

When is Blaenavon’s Heritage Railway open?

Blaenavon’s Heritage Railway railway generally runs at weekends and bank holidays between April and September plus selected Wednesdays during the school summer holidays, although do check the website in advance in case of cancellations or special events which may impact the railway being open. The railway also has special steam gala weekends with additional engines and activities, plus Halloween Ghost Trains in late October and Santa Steam Specials in the run up to Christmas. It’s best to book in advance for these as they sell out quickly.

On the regular running days, you can either stay on the train for the entire hour-long journey or, with three departures per day, and tickets valid all day, you can hop on and off at the different stations and visit Big Pit National Coal Museum with its famous underground tour, Blaenavon Ironworks – the best-preserved blast furnace of its time to survive from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and where the BBC series Coal House was filmed – and other landmarks connected to the area’s industrial past, giving you a real understanding of its mining history.

Details of the different stations, the timetable and what you’ll find at each station are on the website.

It was a little cloudy with rain showers on the day we visited but the views were lovely and the pace of the train relaxing. Our carriage was full of little cabins for six, with vintage red seats and overhead luggage compartments, but we were able to move freely around the carriage, which made it great for a group activity for different ages so that everyone could chat and interact.

We chose to do the train journey as a whole loop, rather than hopping on and off and then headed to Big Pit afterwards for a walk around the Pit Baths museum and the Mining Experience tour. If you’re planning on doing the underground experience at Big Pit, then it’s best to book in advance. Ours was a last minute visit due to a change in weather meaning we had to change our original plans. If it had been planned in advance, we definitely would have started our journey earlier, booked Big Pit in advance and headed to the Ironworks too, to make it a full day out.

How much does Blaenavon’s Heritage Railway cost? Essential information for your trip

Blaenavon’s Heritage Railway, Furnace Sidings, NP4 9SF

Tickets cost £16 for adults, £8 for children, free for under 3s and £40 for a family of four (prices as of summer 2025).  Look out for discounts online when booking in advance, eg current offers include 10% off and kids go free in school holidays with a paying adult.

Open Saturdays and Sundays from April to September plus selected Wednesdays in school summer holidays.

You can park for free at Furnace Sidings – the website has details of local bus services.

There’s a gift shop, toilets and a café (edit – currently closed although snacks nd cold drinks are available in the gift shop) at Furnace Sidings

The train ride is not suitable for buggies due to narrow carriages but these can be stored at the station 

Book ahead now for Halloween Ghost Trains, Santa Steam Specials and the Annual Steam Gala Weekend which takes place from Friday 12-Sunday 14 September.

Visit the Blaenavon’s Heritage Railway website for more information and to book tickets.