The Nene Valley Railway (NVR) in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, has been named in Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice list — placing it in the top 10% of attractions worldwide — in early 2026, based on a full year of review data from 2025.
The volunteer‑run heritage steam attraction earned the recognition after consistently receiving high visitor ratings and praise for its preservation work and the friendliness of its volunteers and staff. The award follows a difficult period for the railway: it launched a “Back on Track” appeal aiming to raise £300,000 (the appeal was launched in May 2024) to rebuild reserves after a prolonged post‑pandemic deficit and rising operating costs, notably a sharp increase in coal prices. By mid‑2025 the railway had raised about £120,000 toward that target.
Run largely by more than 300 volunteers, the line runs for 7.5 miles between Yarwell Junction and Peterborough Nene Valley station. The route passes through locations such as Nene Park (Ferry Meadows) and Orton Mere, which are referenced on the railway’s TripAdvisor profile and in visitor reviews.
The Nene Valley Railway is also well known as a film location: it was used for sequences including the armoured‑train scenes in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye and previously featured in Octopussy. The line is home to what is regarded as the first ‘official’ Thomas the Tank Engine — a Hudswell Clarke 0‑6‑0T locomotive that was officially named ‘Thomas’ by Reverend W. Awdry in 1971.
NVR hopes the Travellers’ Choice recognition will aid its ongoing fundraising and promotional efforts as it works to secure the railway’s future for visitors and volunteers. The railway has repeatedly urged supporters to help ‘keep us on track’ by visiting, donating or volunteering.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
