Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway

They told me, a disabled man, to leave or they would ‘make me more crippled than i already am’ when i complained that they overcharged me, and they would not refund me even though they admitted it was their mistake.

Tucked neatly behind Paignton Station is the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway. The train is steam hauled by a choice of Great Western engines and has an impressive rake of vintage coaches including an observation car (additional fares apply.)

A number of departure times allows for flexibility as does a range of ticket options from a straight fare to Kingsware or Dartmouth with an inclusive ferry trip across the River Dart to a Round Robin Trip enabling you to view a stunning stretch of coastline and countryside between Paignton and Kingswear onboard the steam train, foot passenger ferry between Kingswear and Dartmouth, discover Devon's finest landscapes on a cruise between Dartmouth and Totnes, and a bus trip between Totnes and Paignton. There are also a number of special events and excursions throughout the year.

The Steam Train does not operate in the months of November, January, February and March. It only operates Santa Steam Specials during December.

Overall a fun day out for all the family, although the fares can be quite expensive very worthwhile as it is the best way to travel between Paignton and Dartmouth.

Rather overpriced, but an essential attraction. Good old fashioned fun, steam everywhere..no not a toga party..rail as It used to be, complete with toot toot. Make sure you check times before turning up as they vary between seasons and days of the week. Dartmouth is a lovely place to visit and getting there by steam train then boat is a fine old way to travel.

The trains are between 60 and 90 years old!

great day out.makes going on a train enjoyable.great view if you pay extra and sit in the first class bit.

This is a lovely journey and a great way to visit Dartmouth. The steam railway station is next to the mainline station right in the middle of Paignton. There are several stops, Goodrington, Churston and Kingswear. At Kingswear you can get the ferry over to Dartmouth which is well worth a visit.

At the end of your visit to Dartmouth you can return on the ferry and train or if you have booked the “Round Robin” you can travel to Totnes on the river and then return to Paignton on an open top bus. This is a favourite with my family.

The views are terrific and my children love it.

great local family attraction. Half price rides if you are local resident. Children love it, trainspotters too! Amazing views over the bay. Bygone style train stations. Journey from Paignton to Kingswear takes about 30 mins. The you can take a ferry across to Dartmouth. There is a possibility of buying a round robin trip, which includes the train, ferry, boat and open top bus - it is a whole day trip and great value for money.

Great day out although slightly expensive. The views on the journey are wonderful especially on a lvely sunny clear day. All the staff are polite and helpful making the trip even more enjoyable. The journey itself takes about 30 minutes which is just long enough for smaller children. Great day out.

i use this train once a year to go on the santa express. its pricey but worth every penny. travel along the coastline down to kinswear. see santa in his grotto and then watch a pantomine. magical!

A full 5 star day out well worth every (slightly pricey) penny. The train and boat ride experience is what me and my family plumped for. First off you get the steam train from Paignton, pay an extra £1 on the platform per person and you can sit in the glass pulman carriage which is right behind the engine and well worth it for the experience. Then the wonderfully idyllic chug chugging of the steam engine will take you rocking happily along the line, over via ducts past beaches and beautiful countryside. The journey lasts around 20 minutes and then you alight in Dartmouth and it’s a little walk to the quayside where you pick up your boat for a one hour round trip tour with talk. Very interesting what you learn about the naval activities, the local inhabitants, ie millionaires row and the surrounding countryside. Then it drops you back into Dartmouth where you can spend a few hours milling around sampling the local shops or just sitting watching the world go by before hopping back onto the wonderful train, ah memories of bygone days, if only trains were like that now. Fully disabled friendly trains, can take wheelchairs and buggys for kids. The boat is a little harder for wheelchairs so ask before buying your tickets.

excellent day out for the family, lovely scenic ride to dartmouth and back. with ample time to peruse the lovely shops in dartmouth. journey takes about half an hour each way. tickets can be bought from various locations including on board the train and they are very regular.
the observatory is a must and for the slight extra cost its a real treat. it is relaxing and you can get some excellent scenic photos along the way. the staff were really helpful and friendly and made you feel welcome.

take the ferry ride for an additional bonus for the day

You get a lovely train ride on the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway,lots to see and do whilst on the train and you can look out and enjoy the scenery :)

A very relaxing train ride awaits those who venture out on this rather charming carriage

Normally I don’t like the railways but When I went on the Paignton & Dartmouth railway it was really relaxing & the scenery was beautful if you want a day out its a must to go on if you are ever go down to Devon the service was excellent by the staff on board the train & it left on time everything on the railway ran like clockwork but the whole journey is well worth it & I can totally recommend this to anyone.