Please send all enquiries to our Admin Team who will pass details onto our education team who will contact you as soon as possible.
Our main headquarters is at Wansford Station, Stibbington, Peterborough, PE8 6LR, and is situated on the Old Great North Road, which is under a mile from the A1 (Brown sign). We are an educational charity which aims to introduce to the young, the experience of railway travel of the past, particularly in the days of steam.
Our heritage line, which was built in 1845, was part of the original LNWR railway, which ran between Peterborough and Northampton, with a junction at Yarwell to Rugby. Wansford Station houses some Victorian buildings, and there are four further stations on the 15 mile round trip, which also show further examples of railway history.
Schools may select to have a round trip from Wansford, or travel between stations. Groups can also combine a train journey with a visit to Nene Country Park alighting at Overton Station.
The David Ray Study Centre at the Wansford Station site is our venue for specific learning opportunities. These interactive stories and activities are carefully structured within the framework of the National Curriculum and can be adapted to meet an individual school’s needs.
Cross Curriculum Links
Reception and Early Years
Key Stage One
Key Stage Two
Key Stages Three & Fours
The above details are for bookings during the summer and early autumn terms, as all school trips use our scheduled Wednesday steam service. Should you be looking for a school visit outside of these dates, then the diesel railcar could be booked (seats 44 people). It might also be possible to charter a steam engine if we can arrange for several schools to visit on the same day. Please enquire using the details below.
For further information or to discuss and book a visit, please contact the Education Team, by email - education@nvr.org.uk or a member of our Admin Team on 01780 784444 or email: adminassistant@nvr.org.uk
Coach parking: is available at the Wansford site.
Disabled Visitors: please discuss whether you have wheelchair bound children upon booking. We now have an accessibility coach which runs on most of our trains.
Gift Shop: Wansford Station - a souvenir pack can be made up in advance of your visit.
Picnic areas: we have a field which could be made available at Wansford Station, and there is also a picnic area beside the river Nene, which is adjacent to the station. Should the weather not be suitable for dining outside, we suggest that lunch is taken during your train journey.
Seating on trains: seating is generally in open plan carriages which are reserved for visiting schools.
Toilets: the main toilets are at Wansford station, but there are toilets available on board all trains (limited disabled toilets available).
Please view our Yellow Timetable for arrival and departure times - Some changes to timetables can be facilitated at special request.
Click here for our Risk Assessments
Click here for Railcar Risk Assessment
Click here for Preliminary visit information