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Join us

The Bodmin Railway Preservation Society

The Railway

Nostalgia is powerful – we all love the occasional wallow in the past, and the past is the destination for a visit and a ride on our Railway, come rain or shine. With its mining heritage, Cornwall was an area which needed and used the locomotive. Bodmin and Wadebridge was one of the country’s first railways. British Rail abandoned the tracks around Bodmin in the 1980s – this attracted the steam enthusiasts of the day. The rest is now part of our history.

The Society

The key to our continuing success has been an ability to ignore the apparently impossible – love, team working, determination and sheer hard work have collectively created a reality out of a dream, and these qualities continue to keep us running today. In 1984 the first enthusiasts dreamed of creating a Heritage Railway. The enthusiasm caught on – like-minded people joined and continue to do so today on a regular basis. No experience or hard work needed for new society members, just an ability to share the dream. Although you can start your own chapter to a new story by volunteering.

Why is this important?

To learn lessons for the future, look to the past. There is a difference between preserving the past and living in the past – experience from the past equips us for life. Most believe that conservation is important for our children and our children’s children – so do we. For those who care less passionately about heritage and history , the Railway plays its part in the overall Cornwall tourist experience and the local economy. Its ongoing health, and that of the society, remains key to the wellbeing of the area.

The sun over the train tracks on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway

Why join the Bodmin Railway Preservation Society?

When you join as a member, or choose to give Preservation Society membership as a gift, you’ll be supporting our work here at the railway. But there are a number of other benefits:

  • 50% travel discount on all regular train services
  • 10% discount on fares for event trains and experiences
  • 10% discount in our shop (excluding model railway)
  • 10% discount at Bodmin General Coffee Shop
  • Three issues a year of Bodmin Railway News
  • A chance to join our 200 Plus Club, our quarterly prize draw scheme
  • The pride and enjoyment which comes with being part of the railway

Through your interest and support, you are making an important contribution to the preservation of Cornwall’s railway heritage, its infrastructure, rolling stock, steam and diesel locomotives. Thank you!

Join on the day you visit, and you’ll be entitled to your discounts straight away.

How to join

To join the BRPS, please fill in a membership form. You can collect a form from Bodmin Railway, contact the BRPS to be sent a copy, or download a copy. Then return your completed form along with your payment to:

BRPS Membership Secretary, Bodmin General Station, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 1AQ.

Don’t forget to fill in the Volunteer section of the form if you also wish to become a volunteer at the BR.  If you have any questions at all, please get in touch with us by telephone or emailing [email protected].

Membership costs

Annual rates

Adult £24.00 | Joint adult £36.00 | Junior (aged below 16) £13.00

Family 1 (1 Adult + 2 Child) £39.00 | Family 2 (2 Adult + 2 Child) £43.00

Senior (60+) £20.00 | Joint Senior (both 60+) £28.00

Life £400.00 | Joint Life £500.00

Senior Life (60+) £250.00 | Joint Senior Life (both 60+) £300.00

Volunteering

Click the button below to find out more about becoming a volunteer at Bodmin Railway.

You may also wish to join the BRPS Members Group on Facebook, or read the latest news from the BRPS and BR