From Peak Rail: It is with great regret that we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Peak Rail Steam Gala scheduled for 8th and 9th August 2026.
Due to the current tinder-dry conditions and the significant risk of lineside fires spreading to neighbouring properties and land, we believe it would be irresponsible to operate Gala Services, that include harder working and multiple Steam locomotives. The safety of our railway, our volunteers and staff, our neighbours, and the wider community must remain our highest priority.
All tickets purchased for the Steam Gala can be transferred to our Mixed Traffic Gala on 19th and 20th September 2026. If you are unable to attend those dates, please contact us to arrange a full refund.
Enjoy more Rail Express Magazine reading every month.
Click here to subscribe & save.
We are delighted however to be able to announce that we will have a very special visitor for our Mixed Traffic Gala in the form of Peckett 2147 ‘Uskmouth No 1’ which will be a chance to see her in action on scheduled passenger services away from her home base of the Dean Forest Railway. Further information on our Mixed Traffic Gala and locomotives in service will be available on our website shortly.
We sincerely apologise for the disappointment and inconvenience this cancellation will cause. We know many of you were looking forward to the event, and this decision has not been taken lightly. We greatly appreciate your understanding and continued support as we put safety first.
Due to this cancellation, subject to the conditions, we will be operating our standard steam service on the 8th & 9th August with appropriate safety measures in place. This may be substituted for a Diesel Locomotive if required
Thank you for your patience, and we look forward to welcoming you to Peak Rail soon.
