A WARM WELCOME

“Welcome to our railway! My name is John, I am Station Master here and am one of over 300 volunteers who enjoy looking after our fascinating railway heritage and ensuring you have a wonderful time with us.

Of course the only way to experience this is to come and see, smell, touch & hear for yourself, be part of the experience.

I do hope to see you soon to enjoy the friendly atmosphere of one of Britain’s most scenic heritage railways based close to Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh.”

Start your journey at Bo’ness station. Here you will find the authentic Ticket Office, the Station buffet, Gift Shop, toilets and free parking. There are also picnic areas, footbridge viewing area & Model Railway^*.

Be sure to visit the Museum of Scottish Railways. Two large halls of historic locomotives, carriages and wagons as well as a railway themed activity area for children.

^* Model Railway open weekends and bank holidays only

Other prices may apply for special events,

see event information here for more details.

THE TRAIN JOURNEY - WHAT TO DO AND SEE

Friendly staff welcome visitors aboard their comfortable historic carriage on a beautiful steam train or heritage diesel from days of old and wish them a pleasant journey along the shores of the River Forth. The scenery is varied and beautiful all year round. Travel to Manuel, calling at Kinneil & Birkhill through smoke filled tunnels and remember the sounds and smells of yesteryear.

For on the move refreshments visit our on board buffet car, selling hot & cold drinks and crisps. Afternoon Tea is also served here most Saturdays and Sundays. Click here for more information.

Unfortunately, there will be no On Train Buffet on trains in April. Please purchase refreshments from the Station Buffet serving window on the platform and enjoy them on the train. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Our On Either Side map is available free for all visitors from the Ticket Office at Bo’ness or the Guard on your train. It shows you what to look out for on your journey. A children’s version is also available.

ENJOY OUR HALTS AND STATIONS

Recently awarded Local Nature Reserve Status, the area at Kinneil Halt is the first stop on your journey. It takes about seven minutes to get here by train from Bo’ness and if you choose to walk back along the coast it takes about 15 minutes of fresh air and wonderful views!

The foreshore walks are wheelchair and pushchair friendly and will be an enjoyable way to work up an appetite.

It’s the perfect place for a picnic!

If you have time, why not take the 15 minute walk to Kinneil Estate and Museum. For lovers of Real Ale (and a favourite with our volunteers!) a five minute stroll will bring you to The Corbie Inn, the area’s newest bar and restaurant. With a traditional brewery situated to the rear of the Corbie Inn, it’s the nearest thing to having a brewery tap and a favourite with our volunteers!

On to Birkhill where our Friends of Birkhill Group will be ready to welcome you to their station. This countryside location is a favourite with film-makers and has starred on TV & the silver screen. You’ll see it here in this TKMaxx advert.

Today take in the Waiting Room and have a wander in the meadow behind the station past the site of a former fireclay mine.  Bring your picnic and take a walk in the beautiful meadow or sit quietly and watch nature at its best, you could be lucky and see a deer cross the track, rabbits hopping about and even a bird of prey.

Manuel is the end of the line! Sit back and watch the engine change ends from the comfort of your seat. Enjoy the views and wave to the passengers on the Edinburgh-Glasgow main line. The track from Birkhill to Manuel was only opened in 2010 thanks to the hard work of our volunteers. Great news for 2013 is that we have raised enough funds to allow us to build a platform here which means that visitors will soon be able to stretch their legs and get a great view of the engine. Click here for more information.

Until the platform is complete, we have to ask you to remain in the comfort of your seats or have a wander to the on train buffet whilst we change the engine which takes about 15 minutes.

A SOUVENIR OF A GREAT DAY OUT

Visit our Gift Shop at Bo’ness Station for a souvenir of your visit, railway books and DVDs, toys including a range of Thomas & Friends goodies, toys and gifts to suit everyone.

SOMETHING TO EAT OR DRINK?

Whatever the time of day you will be able to find homemade, locally sourced produce in our Station Buffet. Located at Bo’ness Station you will be sure of a warm welcome. From freshly baked scones with jam & cream or a refreshing ice lolly to a delicious full meal there is something for every appetite.

You can browse our Station Buffet menu here.

Please note that on some of our busier event days we offer a limited menu so we can serve you quicker so you don’t miss out on the fun!

All of the items on the menu are available to take away, so don’t worry if you forget to bring a picnic, we’ll make one for you and you can even take it on the train!

CHILDREN WELCOME

Children of all ages are welcome to enjoy and adventure with us. We see many three generational families every day, each taking something different away with them.  There is no doubt children will enjoy our Day Out With Thomas events and Santa Trains.

It is wonderful to see grandparents passing their knowledge on to their grandchildren and in turn enjoying the glow of their smiles and enjoyment of a visit to the smoky footplate of an engine in steam.

Children under 5 go free on trains on our standard timetable and there is plenty of room on standard days to bring your pushchair, you can even take them up the ramp and on the train with you and store them in the vestibule. We can even accomodate most double pushchairs on most days!

GREAT ACCESS FOR WHEELCHAIRS

Good access for wheelchairs and pushchairs to Bo’ness Station platform and facilities, Kinneil Halt, Birkhill platform, station & meadow walk.

We have a specially adapted carriage for wheelchair users shown here.

Access to and around the Museum of Scottish Railways is available at all times.

DOGS ARE WELCOME

Assistance dogs are allowed on site at any time. All dogs are welcome except on special event days such as Day Out With Thomas and Santa Steam Trains which are extremely busy and not the best experience for our four legged friends!

On standard days well behaved dogs are welcome on the trains, platform, Visitor Trail and museum but must be kept on a lead at all times.  Why not alight at Kinneil Halt to enjoy the nature reserve and walks along the firth of Forth, it’s about a 15 minute walk back to Bo’ness Station from there. We have water for dogs on Bo’ness Station platform.

FREE PARKING

There’s plenty of free car and coach parking at Bo’ness Station. Follow SATNAV EH51 9AQ.

DOWNLOAD OUR 2013 LEAFLETs

We hope to see you soon!

Click here or on the leaflet cover below to download your own copy of our new A5 size 2013 leaflet.

Here is a map of our site at Bo’ness with our new Visitor Trail clearly marked. Please click on it to download a larger version so you can make sure you don’t miss anything on your visit.