2026 marks the 30th Anniversary of official opening of the Northampton & Lamport Railway!
After humble beginnings in 1983, it took 12 years for pioneer preservationists to rebuild sufficient railway to re-open to the public in November 1995. This was followed by an official ‘Grand Opening’ in March 1996, when a huge (almost ridiculous!) number of people thronged the platform (and any other available vantage point) at Pitsford & Brampton Station to see a cavalcade of locomotives pass through the station.
The fact that our Railway is still going strong (and continuing to grow) 30 years later is a huge testament to the commitment and dedication of our wonderful volunteers, who have re-built virtually everything from scratch (including 2 miles of track and two entire stations).
We will mark the occasion in various ways, but the focal point will be our ’30th Anniversary Gala’ over the August Bank Holiday Weekend (29th-31st). This will feature special guest loco No.52322 (the first ex-main line tender loco on our railway!) and demonstration freight trains, plus live music, gift and craft stalls, model railways and much more! Tickets on sale now!
If you’d like to to be part of the NLR’s story then why not consider volunteering with us? There are roles to suit all interests and abilities. More information is available on our volunteering page HERE
‘Grand Opening’ March 1996