Step back in time with a visit to Chinnor & Princes Risborough railway

What's on offer at the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway?

The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway, which operates on a four-mile track connecting Chinnor in Oxfordshire to Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire, has so much to offer for all the family, not least a trip through the beautiful Chiltern Hills. Visting the Railway, you’re able to choose between steam or vintage diesel locomotives with services running on Sundays, bank holidays and selected school holidays from March to December. There are also themed events such as 1940s events, beer festivals, diesel galas and driver experience days as well as the Santa Specials.  The Railway even caters for special occasions and wedding parties but if you’re just out for a day, you can enjoy lunch or afternoon tea on board the train and can finish your trip off at Chinnor, where you’ll find a café and gift shop

Where do the heritage trains travel from Chinnor?

• Leaving Chinnor Station on the eight-mile round trip, the train travels over Keens Lane Crossing, known locally as Donkey Lane, and into the countryside. To the right, a footpath runs parallel to the ancient Icknield Way, an ancient track predating the Roman occupation. It is said that William the Conqueror walked along the track on his way to London.   
• The train descends the bank to Wainhill Crossing Halt which, although no longer open to passengers, has a member or staff or ‘gateman’ to open the crossing gates. You’ll pass the Bledlow Cricket Club where you’ll usually see a match in progress on a Sunday afternoon.
• After crossing West Lane Bridge, you might just make out the dense, overgrown, watercress beds which once provided many boxes of watercress to the London Markets.
• Once you’ve travelled over Perry Lane Bridge, you’ll see Bledlow Bridge Halt and wonderful views across the open countryside. Try to make out the Whiteleaf Cross etched into the chalk hillside. 
• At Thame junction, the train passes through the open gate marking the boundary point between the heritage line and Network Rail for the journey towards the restored Platform 4 at Princes Risborough. There’s another chance to take in views of Whiteleaf Cross before the train stops at Princes Risborough where you can get out and stretch your legs before the return journey – though you need to be climb aboard before the guard blows his whistle and waves the green flag.

The Railway runs steam and diesel timetables and tickets for the round trip, which takes approximately an hour, are available to buy up to 3 pm on the day of travel but, online are approximately £1 each less than if you buy them in person.  With a Day Rover Ticket you’ll have unlimited travel on all trains and, whilst wheelchair tickets must be booked in advance, carers travel free of charge.The prices and booking details may be seen on the website.

Has the heritage railway featured in any films or television shows?

As well as appearing in the popular ‘Midsomer Murders’ series, Chinnor station has made an appearance on The Grand Tour and Top Gear (2017), a Dutch soap opera (2017) and in a Bollywood film (2018), In 2019, the Netflix film, ‘The Dig’ set in 1939 and starring a world-famous cast, was filmed at Chinnor and in the same year (2019) it appeared in Silent Witness.  One of the Railway’s most recent appearances was in the ITV 1950s’ period drama – ‘Grantchester.’

History of the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway

When the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway finally opened on 19 May 1991, it was a momentous occasion for the volunteers who had worked tirelessly on the project and for those who had donated money and offered grants or sponsorships.  The Railway had been 36 years in the making and all those working on the restoration project had faced numerous challenges but it must have seemed worth it when the first train ran from Wainhall Halt and when passenger services began opertng between Chinnor and Princes Risborough in August 1994.

The railway, originally built as the Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway, opened in 1872 with the aim of connecting rural villages to the Great Western Railway network.  By 1883, it had become part of the Great Western Railway, later passing to British Railways with passenger trains running from Chinnor until 1957 and freight trains using the line until 1989 when it was closed and, subsequently, fell into disrepair. 

In 1989 the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Association was formed and it was in May 1991, that the first train – a works train, ran from Chinnor. The first passenger trains ran between Chinnor and the site of the former Wainhall Halt in 1994 and, a year  later, the route was extended by about 3 km to Horsenden Lane and then to the old rail connection now known as Thame Junction in 1996. 

In February 2016, the railway was connected to the mainline at Princes Risborough.  The derelict track alongside the Thame Branch Siding and the land on the west side of Princes Risborough was leased to the Railway in 2017.    In 2016, the reconstruction of Platform 4 at Princes Risborough was underway but it wasn’t until 5^th July 2025, the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway was finally able to open its new, independent line, linking to platform 4 at Princes Risborough.

For further information on the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway including timetables and prices, please visit the website on www.chinnorrailway.co.uk.