The railway operates on tracks dating back to 1725 and 1621, making it the world’s oldest. Heritage steam trains run every Sunday along the three-mile route, kept alive by dedicated volunteers
The railway is still in use(Image: Graeme J Baty via Getty Images)
Britain boasts a remarkable industrial heritage, with its railway network standing as a particular point of pride. Through decades of ingenuity and hard graft, tracks were laid across the country, linking villages, towns and cities together.
While many of these lines remain operational today, only one can claim the distinction of being the world’s oldest. Sections of this historic route stretch back to 1725 and continue to operate as a heritage railway.
A passenger service travels along the three-mile stretch every Sunday.
The Tanfield Railway winds its way through Gateshead and County Durham. Its origins began as a horse-drawn colliery wooden waggonway, then evolved into a rope-and-horse railway, and eventually into a rope-and-loco railway.
Preserved industrial steam locomotives still traverse the route between East Tanfield, Durham, and Sunniside, Gateshead. The railway holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest, with track sections dating to 1725 and other portions in service since 1621, reports the Express.
The Tanfield Railway was constructed for transporting coal, not people, to the River Tyne for shipping to London and further afield. It employed cutting-edge technology for its era, with wooden wagons running on wooden rails, hauled by horses.
This predated the arrival of iron rails and steam power on the railway by a century. Today, dedicated volunteers have shouldered the responsibility of maintaining Tanfield Railway’s remarkable heritage.
Last year marked the railway’s 300th anniversary, with celebrations featured in the BBC documentary, The World’s Oldest Railway. Tom Hartley joined as a volunteer in 2004 after being captivated by the North Polar Express train during a childhood trip with his parents.
At 19, Tom and three fellow volunteers set out to restore their own steam engine. They purchased the National Coal Board No. 38 from veteran volunteer Peter Weightman for just £1, working out at 25p each.
The group has invested countless hours and considerable funds into the restoration project, with hopes that the locomotive will soon be operational again.
Peter reflected: “It was frightening to see so many lovely machines that were getting scrapped in the 1960s, and that was my motivation really. Somebody had to do it before we lost our history, our local history.
“It has taken a lifetime to do it all, but I have confidence knowing that the next generation is going to repair it and get it working.”
Around 170 volunteers contribute to Tanfield’s operations, alongside three full-time employees.
General manager David Watchman expressed his pride: “I am really proud of our railway; we have a fantastic bunch of volunteers. Everyone has their own skill set. It is all about the people, and we have volunteers aged 12 through to 92. The railway wouldn’t exist without them.”