Contact the National Railway Museum in York on 03330 161 010 to make an enquiry. The helpline opens 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
About the National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum in York is one of the British museums in the Science Museum Group, which includes several other science and industry museums in England. The National Railway Museum houses a collection of railway vehicles and artefacts with historical significance. This includes more than 100 locomotives and hundreds of rolling stock items. The site is home to thousands of noteworthy objects and paper records. Located in a former depot close to York railway station, these exhibitions are spread throughout three halls. It attracts over 700,000 visitors per year, making it the most popular railway museum in Britain.
The National Railway Museum’s collection has continued to grow since it was first established in 1975. Key exhibitions featured there include the “Palaces on Wheels” display of trains used by the Royal Family, and iconic steam trains like the Flying Scotsman and the Mallard. There are also trains from China and France which were built in Britain. The only train on display which has no association with Britain is the Japanese Shinkansen, donated by the West Japan Railway Company. There is also an assortment of historical railway-related paraphernalia such as tickets, models, uniforms, furniture, and posters. The museum has an archive of even more railway materials with an open library for guests.
National Railway Museum Opening Times
The museum opens every day, including bank holidays, except when it closes for Christmas. Visitors are only unable to access the National Railway Museum from 24th December to 26th December. Otherwise, the museum opens at 10am every morning and closes at either 6pm in summer or 5pm in winter. Entry is free for everyone, so there aren’t any admission fees to worry about. If you would like to visit the library and archive facilities for research purposes, they open between 10am and 5.30pm from Wednesday to Saturday. The museum has free Wifi and accessible parking, but the regular car park on Leeman Road costs £10 for the day. It is accessible by rail, bus, and on foot from the city centre.
For groups of 10 or more people, it is advised to contact the museum in advance and book one of the limited parking spaces for coaches if one is needed. Groups will get a 10% discount in the museum shops and a free hot meal for the coach driver. Educational visits must be arranged in advance by submitting a request form. While general entry and any workshops are free, extras like the Mallard Experience simulator and Miniature Railway require tickets costing from £3 each. Schools and youth groups can get discounts on these rides when they book their educational visit. The indoor picnic area has to be booked ahead of arrival. There are two cafes and a restaurant on site for visitors to eat and drink, plus the luxury Countess of York afternoon tea experience.
Contacting the National Railway Museum
To contact the National Railway Museum visitor information office, call 03330 161 010, or e-mail enquiries to info@railwaymuseum.org.uk. For help with research visits, e-mail search.engine@railwaymuseum.org.uk. Contact school.bookings@sciencemuseum.ac.uk to book educational trips. To book a Countess of York afternoon tea package, get in touch with countessofyork@nrm.org.uk. To enquire about hiring the museum as a venue for private events, contact nrmevents@nrm.org.uk. Send a query about the gift shop to shop.info@railwaymuseum.org.uk, or the online gift shop to shop.nrmonline@nrm.org.uk. The museum location and the postal address for the National Railway Museum is as follows:
Leeman Road
York
YO26 4XJ