Welcome to the website of the South Downs Light Railway
The South Downs Light Railway, a 10 1/4 inch gauge miniature railway, is nestled in the grounds of a garden centre in Pulborough, West Sussex, right in the heart of the South Downs National Park.
Since opening in 2000, the railway has become a beloved attraction, winding nearly a mile through the garden centre grounds, climbing a steep fourteen-foot-deep cutting, and passing through a tunnel.
Trains run from March to September and are usually hauled by a real coal burning steam locomotive. It’s great fun for adults and children alike.
We are always working to improve the railway and over the last few years, have built a new station and ticket office, an engine shed and extended the carriage shed. We have built a tunnel and added portals in 2017. The water tower with coal bunker, and the re-installation of our turntable are all now complete. The second extension to our carriage shed is now complete giving us some more space to house our rolling stock. You can find out more about what we’re doing and have done in the News section.
Come and see what we are up to and say hello. We pride ourselves on a friendly welcome.
In 2025, the South Downs Light Railway proudly celebrates twenty-five years of operation. To commemorate this special milestone, a new book delves into the railway’s full history, tracing its origins and development. In addition to exploring the SDLR’s growth, the book also honours the legacy of the 7 1⁄4 inch gauge railways that preceded it. Readers will be transported back to the days of the Cheals Garden Railway and the Riverview Miniature Railway, which operated on the site until 2000, before the SDLR was established. From there, the narrative shifts to the founding of the SDLR and the creation of the line as it stands today. Pick up a copy from the Ticket Office when we re-open in March.
Below you’ll see a short video giving a quick look around our railway. Hit the play button and take a look. If you want to see a full run around our railway, take a look at the Journey page in the Railway section of the menu, where you’ll see Tom taking Flying Scotsman for a trip around (he doesn’t normally drive that quick, the video is double speed!)