The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway will bring together steam, diesel and electric traction for its annual Gala Weekend on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026.
The two-day event will feature a special timetable of passenger and freight workings, with a mix of locomotives in action throughout the day. ‘Rhoda the Roller’ will also be in steam, with further attractions planned.
Steam, diesel and electric in action
The gala timetable is due to include steam locomotives Premier and Melior, diesel locomotives Hunslet and Victor, and electric locomotive Tank II.
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Among the highlights, Hunslet and Tank II are each scheduled to work passenger trains from Sittingbourne Viaduct to Kemsley Down with the Chattenden & Upnor Railway coaches. The railway says these will be the first occasions on which either locomotive has hauled a passenger train over that section in this way.
Freight workings will also feature, including a mixed passenger and freight train behind Premier and a freight-only working behind Hunslet.
The day is set to conclude with Premier and Melior double-heading from Kemsley Down, with Premier detaching at Milton Regis before Melior continues with the mixed train to Sittingbourne Viaduct.
Gala timetable
Trains are scheduled to depart Sittingbourne Viaduct from 10.40am, with services continuing throughout the day until the final workings in the late afternoon.
The railway advises visitors to arrive at Sittingbourne Viaduct station 10-15 minutes before departure to buy or collect tickets, and warns that the first three trains are expected to be particularly busy. Trains will operate on a first-come, first-served basis for both online and pay-on-the-day ticket holders.
2026 gala fares
Adult return tickets are £10, with rover tickets available for £15. Children aged 3-15 travel for £5 return or £10 with a rover ticket, while infants under three travel free.
Senior citizens pay £9 return or £14 for a rover, and a family ticket for two adults and four children costs £27.
Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway Gala Weekend
📅 Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026
📍 Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway, Kent
The gala forms part of the railway’s 2026 programme and comes towards the end of its main operating season.
