Epping Ongar Railway

Had a lovely experience of the Christmas light train last night. My son was so excited about getting hot chocolate and going on the train. Train was beautifully decorated,food and drink was nice and the staff were very friendly and dancing and singing with everyone. Would definitely recommend. The lights on the outside of the train reflecting on the fields and trees during the train ride was very pretty

A wonderful day out, we used the children travel for £1.00 and my 6 and 3 year old had a brilliant time. It was a rainy day but it didn't dampen our spirits. All of the staff we encountered were lovely and knowledgeable. Worth the money.

Great history of train. The steam train ride was a fantastic experience. Staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. My family had a very enjoyable day there. The gallery by Geoff was amazing!

A truly wonderful experience for all the family. All the staff and volunteers were kind, welcoming and friendly. The santa express was a beautiful train with lovely carriages. Worth every penny spent

A brilliant night out trip on the Steam Train 😁 The family and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Good music and all the Christmas Lights made it even more beautiful. Recommend going 😊🚂

Great to have a heritage railway, so close to the centre of London. Loved the vintage bus connection from the end of the Central line at Epping to the station at North Weald. A little over an hour after leaving our hotel in Central London we were on a lovely old Routemaster, heading for a ride on a Steam train and part of the ticket price. Both the stations, at North Weald and at Ongar, are nicely preserved with good facilities and there was a pretty good choice of snacks in the cafe at North Weald. The staff, who I think are all volunteers, are really friendly and helpful. The service, considering we visited in February was really good and we were treated to both vintage diesel and steam haulage. Grand day out!

I loved it. At first I thought it was a little pricey. But we was there for quite a while. Great memories of how the trains were back then. Sadly no steam on the day we went. Ring them first if that's a thing you want to see. Majority of staff were brilliant. A little food area where you can a have a small snake and a cuppa. Old fashion busses too. Enjoyable for all ages

Our son loved the experience. The only thing that trains rides could be longer. It would be nice if refreshments would be available on board (if they were available, it was not advertised enough). My husband would appreciate a pub close to Ongar Station or in the station itself 😀

Oh it was lovely. Didn't expect it to be so christmassy. Carriages all decorated and everyone in our open carriage joined in and had fun. Will be going again I'm sure.

When on the Christmas train it was fantastic, we all had a lovely time. Staff were amazing. The whole experience was great .

Went for the Christmas light train, absolutely fabulous, well worth the money. Foggy when I went but this made for some great photography shots

Christmas steam train was absolutely amazing. Thank you to all the staff who made this possible. Definitely booking for next year.

Departed on the Light Express tonight. Great evening, worth the visit and the train ride.

Too many highlights to mention all of them. The staff, the experience and the joy on the kids faces. Amazing.
One thing to call out... parking... if visiting find somewhere to park or work out your travel there as parking on site is very limited. Doable with a bit of preplanned though

The Christmas Ride in the evening is something that I will definitely remember. 100% go at least once for the experience, and it’s especially the best if you go with your family

Fantastic experience. Hats off to the volunteers for keeping these old and golden steam trains and buses up and running, for us to experience the taste of trevelling in late 1800's and early to mid 1900's.
Important points to note-
-It is necessary to check timetables on the web since wintage buses or steam trains may not run on certain days. Advance online booking is convenient.
-Time table in the official web site shows two points as 'North Weild Arr' and 'North Weild dep'. This is just to differentiate the arrival and departure times of the trains as they are stopped in North Weild for a while. It is the same station.
-Vintage bus picks you up right in front of Epping station drops you in front of the North Weild station. Buses continue up to Ongar station.
-These trains run on the closed track beyond Epping, the last Central Line station of the eastern end. After epping, the track runs to North Weild (through epping forest) and Ongar. Wintage trains run basically between North Weild and Ongar stations. Some trains coming from Ongar, stops at North Weild and then continues further towards epping, creeping into epping forest. Train stops in the middle of the forest and comes back to North Weild. There is no platform or getting down from the train in epping forest. Train just continues beyond North Weild into the forest, stops at a point and comes back.
-Online ticket with QR code should be show to the station ticket counter and should obtain the hard paper ticket.
-Those paper tickets are valid for unlimited travel during the entire day. So dont throw them off.
-Your ticket is valid to travel in any compartment, any seat. There are coaches with private rooms with a capacity for 8 people. Dont forget to try them.
-You can closely observe how a steam engine is operated, how water is filled, how engine is coupled to coaches and how tracks are changed.
-There are two cafe's, one outside the station and one to get in from from platform. Their food and drinks are good and reasonably priced.
-There is a gift shop outside the station. They have reasonably priced souvenirs and books.
-Ongar station has an exhibition room. Can learn about the history of railways around.
-Epping, North Weild and Ongar stations have toilets.

Fantastic evening aboard the Epping Fryer. Staff are fantastic, Magician left us spellbound, and we really enjoyed the fish & chips followed by ice cream! Many themed events during the year. Has on-site parking, plus you can park on the approach road. Allow 2 hours 15 minutes for the experience plus time to park.

We went for the Christmas lights ride and it was brilliant. Will be back next year. 10/10

This is a true treasure for both history enthusiasts and train lovers. The beautifully restored vintage trains and stations transport you back in time to a bygone era of railway travel. The volunteers and staff are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the railway's heritage, making the experience even more enriching.

The scenic journey through the Essex countryside is breathtaking, and the attention to detail in recreating the atmosphere of the past is impressive. It's not just a train ride; it's a step back in history.

It's a fantastic day out for families, history buffs, and anyone looking for a unique and nostalgic experience. I highly recommend it for a memorable and educational journey through time.

A great day out for the whole family. If you enjoy a good old fashioned steam ride this is a great place to come. There's always something to see and with the various themed events there's sure to be a day that hits the spot for you. For us the Christmas train was brilliant. The children loved it and the fact that characters payed their parts to the full made it a memorable day for all.