Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC Reviews 

14,005
TrustScore 5 out of 5

4.8

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 4,591 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently mention that the staff and volunteers are exceptionally friendly, helpful, and professional, making every single interaction feel genuinely special and well-organized. People also love the delicious, freshly cooked food and the wonderful nostalgic atmosphere provided by the beautiful heritage steam trains and historic stations. Though some customers noted that the environment could get very warm, the overall journey remains widely appreciated by almost everyone on board. A few consumers explained that direct sunlight and high temperatures inside the carriages caused some temporary discomfort while they were eating their meals.

What people talk about most

Staff

Clients share positive opinions on staff, consistently praising their welcoming and helpful attitude.... See more

Service

Customers had positive experiences with service, consistently praising the staff for being exceptionally... See more

User experience

Customers consistently note positive experiences with user experience, highlighting the beautiful... See more

Product

Reviewers express high satisfaction and delight with the food and overall dining experiences provided on the... See more

Quality

Consumers find quality to be positive, consistently expressing delight with the excellent food and... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The setting at Froghall station is beautiful. The locomotive and rolling stock magnificent.The staff very friendly,helpful and engaging.We had booked for the cream tea experience.Trip scheduled 1.30-... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent, the staff and volunteers work so hard, the train was lovely, with a beautifully set table, the table service excellent and the food exceeded my expectations. I’ll be honest I was half expec... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Yet another fantastic trip on the Churnet Valley Railway. Took my granddaughter on the breakfast train for her 17th birthday, went on the new part of the line to Leek it’s a little bit shorter than th... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The ambience was absolutely fantastic. We were in the dining carriage which is wooden paneling and art deco lighting on the tables. The Greek meal we had was well prepared and cooked. It was an... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. #5 of 12 best companies in Tourist attraction
  2. #1 of 1 best companies in Breakfast restaurant
  3. #1 of 1 best companies in English restaurant
  4. #3 of 3 best companies in Heritage Preservation
  5. #2 of 5 best companies in Railway Company

About Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Written by the company

Churnet Valley Railway: A Journey Through Time and Scenic Beauty

Hop on board Churnet Valley Railway, Staffordshire’s premier heritage railway, for an unforgettable journey through England's scenic countryside. Catering to a wide range of audiences, Churnet Valley Railway offers not just a trip, but an experience designed to delight all ages.

Entertainment for Everyone: Whether it’s a fun-filled day out with the kids, who will be thrilled by special children's events like The Mad Hatters Tea Train Party, an exotic and romantic lunch excursion for couples, or their tipsy Rail Ale Trail for you and your mates – there's something for everyone at Churnet Valley Railway. Seasonal events like their PolarExpress™ Christmas Train Ride or the Midsummer Murder Mystery evenings offer entertainment that stays fresh throughout the year.

Heritage Presentation: Operated primarily by a dedicated team of volunteers, Churnet Valley Railway takes immense pride in preserving and showcasing the golden age of British rail travel. The meticulously restored steam locomotives, along with vintage carriages, offer passengers an authentic glimpse into the past.

Partnerships Galore: Beyond providing a thrilling day out, Churnet Valley Railway collaborates with external partners to bring Staffordshire some of its most loved events. From bringing festival-goers to villages accessible only by rail to hosting engaging and interactive educational events for children, Churnet Valley continues to offer new and exciting options to the communities they serve. Hop on board and experience the unique blend of nostalgia, scenic beauty, and warm hospitality that only Churnet Valley Railway can offer.


Contact info

4.8

Excellent

TrustScore 5 out of 5

14k reviews

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4.8

All reviews

(14,005)

4,413 reviews in the last 12 months

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Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant day

Brilliant day - everyone was so friendly and helpful. Sunday lunch was excellent - portions are large! Steam engine looked good - a lovely day out

9 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for your kind words regarding your trip with us! We’re so happy to hear that you had a great experience with our service. Our team strives to provide exceptional service, and knowing that we’ve met your expectations truly means a lot to us. We appreciate your support and look forward to serving you again in the future. If there's anything else we can do for you, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Everything was excellent from the…

Everything was excellent from the booking process to the murder mystery adventure. Could not fault anything. The staff and actors were amazing,the food was excellent. I would certainly recommend it to other people.

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for your kind words regarding your trip with us! We’re so happy to hear that you had a great experience with our service. Our team strives to provide exceptional service, and knowing that we’ve met your expectations truly means a lot to us. We appreciate your support and look forward to serving you again in the future. If there's anything else we can do for you, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

we had a great experience

we had a great experience, the staff and food was excellant.

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Really great trip

Really great trip. Food was very good and reasonable price. Very friendly and welcoming staff made for a great evening on the train.

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We would choo choo again

Lovely few hours on the breakfast train, every staff member was really nice and friendly, we had the table for two and the seating is nice and comfy. We had coffee in the cafe before departure and I was very happy with the low prices compared to other places I’ve visited.
My only criticism would be the actual breakfast, it was a warm day and we got served warmish orange juice and the full English breakfast itself was small, cold and bland . I think one tin of beans had been shared between the whole carriage. A super tiny pot full.
Would I do it again ? Most definitely the wife and I did enjoy it but as I’m an early bird I will have a bite to eat at home first next time.
I gave 5 stars because the staff are lovely and we did enjoy our time at the station and on the train .

9 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your Breakfast trip with us. If you had mentioned this on the day we could have rectified the situation but at least you are happy to visit us again.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Lovely day

Lovely day. Good customer service and a beautiful ride on the train.

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Churnet

Despite the fact that we did not go up to Ippstones on Saturday. We went to Leek I stead all in all a good day out.

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you for your positive review & for your understanding of the route change.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We boarded the train last Saturday…

We boarded the train last Saturday night for the murder mystery, it was fabulous I can absolutely recommend it. The actors did a fabulous job.
There was a beautiful 3 course meal served at your table. The food was hot freshly cooked and tasty. There was a great choice of drinks too.
The journey was 2 hours.
The station was beautiful clean and well kept.
All the staff looked after us and really enjoyed their job.
We had a great night and absolutely enjoyed it, we would absolutely recommend it.
Thank you!

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant from start to finish

Brilliant from start to finish , excellent staff and had a wonderful time we shall do.it again

9 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Spud and steam

This is our 3rd time travelling on the Churnet Valley railway and every time has been great. We've done the coffee and cake trip, the mad hatters tea party and this time the spud and steam. We thought this one was great value for the money. All your staff both at the station and on the train are all so pleasant..it really is a nice way to spend a couple of hours and I would highly recommend it.

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This is a wonderful experience gift to share with friends and family…

This is a wonderful, special gift to buy and share with family and friends.

The whole experience is amazing.

The food is excellent. Though on the 9th August 2026 we were melting 🫠 in the days heat so my appetite wasn’t welcoming the hot food. The staff are wonderfully friendly. This is my second gift that I’ve shared and will definitely do it again.

9 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us, despite the heat.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Murder Mystery Dinner

From the moment we turned up for our Murder Mystery Dinner to the moment we left was fabulous. The train station staff were welcoming. The staff on board were so friendly, nothing was too much. The cast were amazing. The food and drink was really good. We loved every minute.

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic night staff were fantastic…

A fantastic night staff were fantastic the journey way great and carnt wait to have the experience again ..

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent afternoon on the spud n train ride

I did the spud n train on Saturday for my aunts birthday had an amazing afternoon I would like to give Andrea, Jackie n Daren a special thankyou for making her day more memorable all the team are amazing but these 3 went above and beyond it’s a afternoon not to be missed

7 August 2026
Unprompted review
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Whisky tasting.

Friendly staff. Great whisky tasting experience. Lovely steam train ride through the countryside. All round great experience. Would definitely recommend.

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Lovely day

Lovely day, helpful staff, nice meal and
Good value

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you for your positive review.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Yet another fantastic trip on the…

Yet another fantastic trip on the Churnet Valley Railway. Took my granddaughter on the breakfast train for her 17th birthday, went on the new part of the line to Leek it’s a little bit shorter than the one to Ipstones but just as enjoyable thank you to all involved on keeping this old tradition alive. Back on again Friday for the evening special 🫶🩷🫶

9 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for your kind words regarding your trip with us! We’re so happy to hear that you had a great experience with our service. Our team strives to provide exceptional service, and knowing that we’ve met your expectations truly means a lot to us. We appreciate your support and look forward to serving you again in the future. If there's anything else we can do for you, don’t hesitate to contact us!

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Evening Whisky Tasting Trip.

This was an excellent evening. Good whisky, plenty of cheese and biscuits etc. Well and very expertly compered on the night and a good atmosphere all round on the train.
This would normally be worth five stars but for a problem with motive power which meant the train couldn`t travel over the Cauldon branch which would have made the trip more scenic but such issues are unavoidable with heritage railway stock.
I look forward to going on similar trips in the future.

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review of your Whisky Tasting event. We appreciate your understanding of the need for the route change & hope this didn't detract too much from your enjoyment of the evening.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Very welcoming staff that were eager to…

Very welcoming staff that were eager to talk about the railway that they were so proud of. We were on a lunchtime dining experience and once again all the staff were very attentive and professional. The food was served in a timely manner and the quality and portions were exactly right.

8 August 2026
Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC logo

Reply from Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

Thank you so much for taking the time & trouble to give us such a lovely review.
We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your trip with us.
All of the team at the Churnet Valley Railway work really hard to ensure that all of our visitors have a wonderful & memorable time.
Please visit us again soon.

Kind regards
Kaaren
01538 360522

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