National Railway Museum

The National Railway Museum in York, United Kingdom, is the largest railway museum in the world and forms part of the UK’s Science Museum Group. The museum is situated on the site of the former York North locomotive depot and is dedicated to the history of railway transport in Great Britain, spanning over 200 years, and its impact on society.

The history of the Museum

The history of the modern National Railway Museum began in 1975, when it opened on the site of the former York North locomotive depot. It brought together railway collections that had previously been housed in various locations, including the British Railways collection in Clapham and the York Railway Museum near York railway station.

Over time, the collection has expanded considerably. The National Railway Museum has become the custodian of the United Kingdom’s national collection of historic railway rolling stock. Among the earliest items in its collection are rolling stock dating from around 1815, and the collection now includes not only steam locomotives and carriages, but also drawings, photographs, posters, clocks, uniforms, tickets, models and items related to the operations of railway companies.

One of the key milestones in the museum’s history was the opening of the Great Hall in 1981.

In 2001, the National Railway Museum received the European Museum of the Year Award.

Another important site within the group is Locomotion in Shildon, which opened in 2004 and houses a significant part of the National Collection.

This museum might not have been built in York. When the decision was being made in the 1960s and 1970s about where to house the national railway collection, various options were considered, including London. The choice of York was not an obvious one: opponents of the project doubted that tourists would even want to visit the city just for a railway museum. In the end, it was the former York North locomotive depot that became its home.

In recent years, the museum has been undergoing a major refurbishment. In 2025, following a £11 million refurbishment, Station Hall reopened.

The next major phase of the project will be Central Hall and Railway Futures: The Porterbrook Gallery, which are set to bring together the various parts of the museum complex.

The Museum’s Collection

The main feature of the National Railway Museum is the opportunity to see authentic historic locomotives and carriages in the museum’s large exhibition halls. In the Great Hall, the exhibits are arranged around a turntable, and among them are vehicles that played an important role in the history of British railways.

The National Collection comprises around 280 railway vehicles. Approximately 100 of these are in York, whilst the rest are distributed amongst other museums and heritage railways.

The collection comprises more than just steam locomotives. It includes around 1 million engineering drawings, 1.5 million photographs, railway posters, company and personal archives, models, railway artefacts and materials relating to technological development.

Among the largest exhibits are the Mallard, the Duchess of Hamilton, the Stirling Single, the Japanese Shinkansen, and the Flying Scotsman, which became part of the National Collection in 2004.

Flying Scotsman

The Flying Scotsman is one of the main exhibits at the National Railway Museum and one of Britain’s most famous steam locomotives. It entered service way back in 1923 with the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). The locomotive was originally numbered 1472, before being given its famous number, 4472.

In 1934, the Flying Scotsman officially reached a speed of 100 mph (approximately 161 km/h). This made it the first steam locomotive to have such a speed confirmed. The locomotive was used on the ‘Flying Scotsman’ express service, which ran between London and Edinburgh.

In 1963, the Flying Scotsman was taken out of service and subsequently passed into private ownership. The locomotive travelled extensively, including to the USA and Canada, before being acquired by the National Railway Museum for the National Collection in 2004. Following an extensive restoration, it returned to service in 2016.

In 2023, the museum celebrated the Flying Scotsman’s 100th anniversary. A special programme was organised to mark the occasion, and the exhibition ‘The Flying Scotsman: 100 Years, 100 Voices’, dedicated to the locomotive’s history and its role in British railway culture, was updated.

Please note: The Flying Scotsman should not be regarded as an exhibit that is permanently based in York. The locomotive may be away on sightseeing trips or at special events, so before visiting the National Railway Museum, it is advisable to check its current location on the official website.

Opening hours

The National Railway Museum in York is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00. Admission to the museum closes some time before closing time, so it is best not to arrive too late if you want to make the most of your visit.

Wonderlab is open from 10:00 to 16:30, with last admission at 15:30.

Please note that renovation work on the museum complex is ongoing in 2026. As a result, visitor routes may differ from usual. It usually takes several hours to see the exhibition.

Tickets

Entry to the National Railway Museum is free. The museum recommends booking a free ticket in advance via its official website, particularly if your visit falls at a weekend or during school holidays.

Donations are welcome: the museum operates as a charity and uses them to preserve its collection and develop its exhibitions.

However, some individual attractions and activities incur an additional charge. For example, there is a charge for the Road Train, which runs between the museum and York Minster. The museum map states that it departs approximately every 30 minutes throughout the day.

Reviews

On TripAdvisor, the National Railway Museum has a rating of 4.6 out of 5, based on over 19,000 reviews. Visitors particularly often mention the large number of locomotives, the chance to see the famous Mallard, Flying Scotsman, Rocket and the Japanese Shinkansen, as well as the interactive areas.

A visit to the museum is of interest not only to railway enthusiasts. Many visitors come with their families and spend several hours inside. They particularly praise the condition of the exhibits, the information materials and the staff’s service.

However, current visitors have one recurring comment: due to construction work, the walk to the entrance has become considerably longer. Some visitors, particularly the elderly and those with reduced mobility, find this route inconvenient. The situation affects drivers less, as the car park is located right next to the museum complex.

Before your visit, it is worth checking the latest access map on the official website. This is particularly important if you are walking from York railway station or from the centre of York.

David:

Museum is a fantastic history of our steam train history! However the walk to it from the city is atrocious, road closed so forced to walk 3 sides of a square, nearly a mile passing several ‘emergency exits’ that could be used as an entrance while works blocking the direct route are in progress!

Contact details and location

The National Railway Museum is located at:

Leeman Road, York, YO26 4XJ, England.

The museum is situated near York railway station, but due to construction work in 2026, the usual walking route has been altered. The official website explicitly warns visitors about the changes to the routes.

Telephone: 033 0058 0058 (daily from 09:00 to 17:00)

Email: [email protected]

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