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Policies & visitor information
Everything you need to know, before your next railway adventure.
Updated 7 October 2026
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
About these policies
Clear information for your visit, purchases and personal information.
Who we are
The Heatherslaw Light Railway Co LTD, company number 02257080. Registered office and correspondence address: Ford Forge, Heatherslaw, Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland, TD12 4TJ. VAT registration: GB499768451.
Contact us
Email info@heatherslawlightrailway.co.uk or telephone 01890 820244. Please use these details for booking changes, refunds, complaints and privacy requests. Include your booking or order reference where available; do not send payment card details.
Which terms apply
Ordinary railway tickets, events, driving experiences and group visits have different arrangements, set out below. Prices and the specific service you choose are shown before you buy. These policies do not restrict your statutory consumer rights. Changes apply to future purchases; they do not retrospectively reduce the rights agreed for an existing booking.
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
Ordinary train tickets
Ordinary train tickets are currently sold at Heatherslaw ticket office, not online.
Buying and using tickets
Tickets are not sold at Etal. If starting your journey at Etal, purchase your ticket on arrival at Heatherslaw. Keep your ticket for your journey and check its journey type and validity when buying.
Changing your plans
If you decide not to travel, a completely unused ticket can be refunded in full when requested on the date of purchase. If you miss your intended departure, you may travel on a later service, subject to available space and the remaining timetable.
Disruption and incomplete journeys
If the railway cancels your journey or cannot complete it, we will offer a refund or an alternative date. If you have already travelled part of the journey and cannot complete it because of a fault of the railway, we will offer a partial refund for the affected part or discuss an appropriate alternative. This does not limit any further rights you have by law.
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
Event booking terms
These terms cover event tickets, separately from ordinary railway travel.
Your booking
Check the event, date, time, passenger types and any chosen seats before payment. Your confirmation sets out what you have booked. A selection of tickets or seats is not a completed booking; follow checkout through to confirmation.
Customer cancellations
You can cancel for a refund by contacting the railway at least 24 hours before the booked event start time. Cancellations received less than 24 hours before the start are not eligible for a discretionary refund. Statutory rights remain unaffected.
Changes and transfers
Date and time changes depend on availability and must be arranged with the railway. Contact us before transferring tickets to another person; tickets cannot be transferred without making arrangements with us.
Late arrival and missed events
If you arrive late, we will offer another event session if we can accommodate you. If you miss the event, no discretionary refund is available.
Cancellation, rescheduling and weather
If we cancel or reschedule your event, you may choose a refund or an available rescheduled date. If the weather is poor but the event goes ahead, the normal customer cancellation rules apply. Event-specific safety instructions and participation requirements are provided with the event details.
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
Driving experience terms
A day on the railway with a Senior Driver. Participants must be aged 18 or over.
Arrival and preparation
Please arrive around 8.30am for a steam course or 9.30am for a diesel course, unless your booking confirmation gives a different time. Bring a packed lunch and flask. A packed lunch is available for either course for an additional £10: request it at least one week beforehand and tell us about dietary needs or allergies.
Clothing, footwear and physical activity
Wear old, warm clothing covering your arms and legs; cotton is preferable. Boots or strong shoes and gloves are necessary. Activities involve physical work, including moving the engine on the turntable. Contact us about limitations or assistance you need before attending so we can discuss suitable arrangements. Please describe the assistance required rather than sending unnecessary medical details.
Your day and guests
The day starts with preparation and familiarisation. Steam courses include raising steam before footplate work. A typical day includes five passenger services with eight carriages; the operating programme may vary. Travel on one service for up to five accompanying guests is included. Both courses usually finish around 4.30pm when the locomotive is back in the shed. Provide an emergency mobile contact number before arrival, and let that person know you have nominated them.
Cancellation and changes
You can cancel for a refund at least seven days before the scheduled start. Later cancellations are not eligible for a discretionary refund, but the rearrangement provisions below apply. Date changes and replacement participants must be approved by the railway; any replacement must meet the participation requirements.
Illness, non-attendance and lateness
If illness prevents attendance, or you do not attend, contact us to arrange another date, subject to availability. If you arrive late, your experience starts when you arrive but still ends at the original scheduled finish time.
Locomotive availability
If the intended locomotive is unavailable, we can discuss a suitable alternative if you are physically able to undertake that experience. If a steam course would need to run with diesel, you may either move the whole experience to another date, or take the diesel experience at no extra charge and return for your steam experience without paying again.
Extreme weather or railway cancellation
Extreme weather may mean we have to cancel or postpone. We aim to give as much notice as possible. We will offer another date; if you cannot rebook, you will receive a full refund.
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
Group visits
Current arrangements while ordinary tickets are sold at Heatherslaw ticket office.
Enquiries and payment
A group enquiry is not a confirmed booking. Contact the railway to agree your visit. No deposit is currently required and payment is due on the day of travel. Passenger numbers can be confirmed on the day and reduced before payment is made.
Late arrivals and disruption
A late group will need to use a later service, subject to space and the remaining timetable. If the railway cancels, we will offer another service or date, or refund any payment already made for the cancelled travel.
Future online group sales
These are the current ticket-office arrangements. Any different deposit or passenger-number deadlines for future online group bookings will be supplied before those bookings are taken.
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
Shop delivery and returns
Delivery is available to mainland UK addresses. Costs and estimated delivery times are displayed at checkout.
Orders and delivery
Check your address, products and options before ordering. Your order confirmation records the purchase. Tell us promptly if an order does not arrive or arrives damaged or incorrect. Unless another delivery period is agreed, goods must be delivered within 30 days. We remain responsible for goods until you, or a person you nominate, receive them.
Changing your mind about an online purchase
For goods with a statutory cancellation right, tell us within 14 days after delivery that you wish to cancel. For one order delivered in separate parts, the period generally starts when the last item arrives. You then have a further 14 days to send the goods back. You can inspect goods as you would in a shop; unnecessary handling that reduces their value may result in a deduction. Original packaging is helpful but is not a condition of statutory rights.
Sending a return
Contact info@heatherslawlightrailway.co.uk and return goods to The Heatherslaw Light Railway Co LTD, Ford Forge, Heatherslaw, Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland, TD12 4TJ. Keep proof of postage. You pay the direct cost of a change-of-mind return where this was disclosed before purchase. We cover reasonable return costs for faulty, damaged or incorrectly supplied goods.
Refunds
For a statutory cancellation of goods, we refund within 14 days of receiving the goods back or evidence that you sent them, whichever is earlier. We refund the standard outbound delivery charge where the whole order is cancelled; extra costs for an enhanced delivery option are not refundable under the cancellation right. Refunds use the original payment method unless you agree otherwise, with no refund fee.
Faulty goods and shop purchases
Your rights for goods that are faulty, not as described or not fit for purpose apply to online and ticket-office/shop purchases. These can include a short-term right to reject within 30 days and rights to repair, replacement or refund as applicable. Please contact us about the problem. There is no automatic statutory change-of-mind right for goods bought in person; ask us about any discretionary return before buying.
Optional cancellation form
You can use a clear email or letter instead of this form. To: The Heatherslaw Light Railway Co LTD, at the address or email above. I give notice that I cancel my contract for the following goods/services: ____. Ordered on/received on: ____. Order reference: ____. Customer name: ____. Address: ____. Date: ____. Signature (only if sent on paper): ____.
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
Gift cards
A gift for the railway: redeem within 12 months of purchase.
Where and when to redeem
Gift cards can be used in-store for train tickets and shop purchases, and online for shop purchases, experiences and events. Ordinary train tickets are currently sold only at Heatherslaw ticket office. Redeem the card within 12 months of purchase. A visit booked using the card may take place after the card expiry date. Expiry dates cannot be extended under our discretionary policy.
Refunds and statutory rights
We do not offer discretionary refunds for unused gift cards. This does not exclude any statutory cancellation or refund right. In particular, an eligible gift card purchased online may be cancelled within the statutory 14-day period; contact us before using it if you wish to cancel. For a booking paid for by gift card, the relevant booking cancellation terms apply, and refunds are normally returned to the original payment method.
Keeping your card safe
Keep the gift-card code secure and share it only with the intended recipient or when redeeming it. Contact us promptly about a delivery problem or suspected unauthorised use, with proof of purchase where available.
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
Loyalty rewards
Your points do not expire.
Earning and redeeming
There are no purchase-category exclusions from earning or spending points. The points earned, available rewards and points needed are shown through the loyalty programme and your customer account. Individual rewards apply to the product or benefit described; a reward for return tickets, for example, is used for that benefit.
Your account and refunds
Sign in to view your balance and available rewards. Check the points cost before confirming redemption; the confirmed reward or code will be displayed in your account. Points earned on a purchase are removed if that purchase is refunded. Contact the railway if a balance or reward appears incorrect.
Programme information
Check the current reward description before redeeming. We will explain material programme changes before they take effect and will not use changes to remove statutory rights or retrospectively reduce an already agreed purchase benefit.
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
Accessibility and assistance
We want to help you plan a comfortable visit. Contact us to discuss the assistance you need.
At the railway
The visitor information lists two wheelchair compartments and three hard-standing disabled parking spaces at Heatherslaw. Staff can help with platform access. The car park is gravel, and Etal village is reached by a long uphill gravel path. There are no public toilets at the stations; accessible toilets are available at the Visitor Centre and in Etal village.
Planning your visit
Please contact us before travelling if you need to check wheelchair suitability, boarding assistance or space for a particular service. Facilities at nearby businesses are managed by those businesses. The Railway visitor information section on our homepage provides practical visitor information; contact us if you need it in another format.
Using this website
If a page, form, seat map or booking step is difficult to use, email or telephone us. Tell us which page or task is causing difficulty and what help you need. We can discuss another way to obtain information or make arrangements. This statement is not a claim that every part of this website has been independently certified for accessibility.
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
Privacy notice
The Heatherslaw Light Railway Co LTD is responsible for the personal information described here.
What we receive
We receive the details you supply for enquiries, accounts, purchases, bookings, loyalty, gift-card recipients and business-directory submissions. This may include names, contact and delivery details, booking participants, order history, loyalty activity and messages. Emergency contacts are supplied by experience participants; please tell your contact before nominating them. Our website and service providers also receive technical information such as IP address, device and security logs. Payment information is handled through the checkout provider; do not send card details by email or chat.
Why we use it
We use account, order and booking information to provide the services you request and administer the contract, including refunds and loyalty benefits. We use enquiry, emergency-contact and security information for our legitimate interests in answering questions, operating the railway safely and preventing misuse, balanced against your rights. Records needed for tax, accounting and other legal duties are processed to meet those obligations. Required booking/contact information is needed to provide the relevant service; without it we may not be able to complete your request.
Assistance, allergies and health information
Please share only the information needed to arrange assistance or catering. Where an arrangement requires health or allergy information, we will explain why it is needed and obtain explicit consent where that is the appropriate condition before recording or sharing it. You can contact us to discuss alternatives or withdraw consent; withdrawal does not undo prior lawful processing and may affect an arrangement that relies on that information. Do not send detailed medical records through website chat.
Who receives information
Wix supports website, account, booking, store, gift-card and loyalty functions. Payment providers process checkout; delivery providers receive details needed to deliver orders. Authorised railway staff receive information necessary for their work, and professional advisers or authorities may receive information where necessary for legal obligations or claims. Published directory submissions contain the business information intended for public display. We do not operate a mailing list.
Website chat, Google, Meta and WhatsApp
Website chat is provided through Wix Inbox. When you send a message, Wix and authorised railway staff process the conversation to answer your enquiry. A secure cookie keeps your conversation available in the same browser for up to 24 hours; messages remain in our Inbox under the enquiry retention criteria below. Please do not send payment-card details or detailed medical information. We use Google Business and Meta social pages. If you choose WhatsApp chat, WhatsApp/Meta processes your number, profile and messages under its own terms as well as our use of the conversation to respond. These services may process data internationally. A business or social-page link does not by itself mean we use advertising tracking on this site. External maps, fonts and images can send technical connection information to their providers when loaded.
Maps, fonts and website media
Our public maps load map tiles from OpenStreetMap. The business map uses Postcodes.io to locate published business postcodes; it does not request your device location. Fonts load from Google Fonts and images and other website resources may load from Wix delivery services. These providers receive technical connection information, including your IP address, when your browser requests their resources. Directions links open Google Maps only when selected. Their own privacy information also applies to their services.
International processing
Providers may process information outside the UK. Where we make a restricted transfer, the applicable safeguard must be an adequacy arrangement or appropriate contractual protections, with any required additional assessment. Contact us for information about the providers and safeguards relevant to your data.
How long information is kept
Retention depends on why a record is needed: orders and financial records for applicable tax/accounting duties; booking and safety records for operational, insurance and legal-claim requirements; enquiries while they are being resolved and for any related dispute; account and loyalty records while needed to operate the account and benefits. We do not treat non-expiring points as permission to retain unrelated information indefinitely. Contact us for the retention criteria applicable to your record or to request deletion, subject to records we must retain.
Your choices and rights
Depending on the circumstances, you can request access, correction, deletion, restriction or portability, object to processing based on legitimate interests, and withdraw consent at any time. Contact us using the details above. We may need information to verify your identity and will respond within the applicable legal time limit. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or telephone 0303 123 1113. You do not have to complain to us first.
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
Cookies and browser storage
Browser storage supports sign-in and features you choose to use.
Customer sessions
Our customer access and refresh cookies support authenticated requests and session continuity. The access cookie lasts up to four hours and the refresh cookie up to seven days; activity may renew them. Temporary sign-in and return-location cookies last up to ten minutes. These are secure session features, not advertising profiles.
Saved visit plans
When you choose to save a visit plan, the planner stores it on your device under hlr-visit-planner-v1 or hlr-built-day-v1. It remains until cleared or replaced and is not a railway reservation. A shared plan link contains the shared plan information; anyone you give the link to can view it.
Shopping basket
When you add products, hlr-shop-basket-v1 stores your chosen items, quantities, options and any product personalisation in this browser until you remove them, complete a confirmed purchase or clear storage. The session entry hlr-shop-pending-checkout helps check whether checkout completed and remove purchased items. It normally lasts for the browser tab session. These features support the shopping service you request; they are not advertising storage.
External services and controls
Wix hosting and checkout may use additional storage for security, payments and the services you request. External services opened from links have their own cookie and privacy information. You can clear or block storage through your browser; blocking essential storage can prevent sign-in, checkout or saved plans from working. Non-essential storage requiring consent must not be activated before that consent. Contact us for help with storage on this site.
Changing your cookie choices
Use the Privacy Settings button on the website to review your choices, accept or reject optional categories, or withdraw consent. Usercentrics remembers your choice so you do not need to choose on every page. Essential storage remains available for security and services you request. Changing your choices does not undo processing that already took place.
HEATHERSLAW LIGHT RAILWAY
Complaints and website terms
Please tell us if something has gone wrong so we can investigate.
Making a complaint
Email, telephone or write to the railway using the contact details above. Describe what happened, the date, your booking/order reference and the outcome you seek. We will investigate and respond, keeping you informed if more information or time is needed. If you remain dissatisfied, ask for a management review. Your statutory rights and ability to seek independent advice are unaffected.
Website use and third parties
Use the website lawfully and do not interfere with its security or other customers’ accounts. Railway website content is protected by applicable intellectual-property rights. Local business listings and external links help you plan your visit; services purchased from those businesses are contracted with the relevant provider. Donations through the linked fundraiser are handled on the fundraising platform under its terms.
Information and responsibility
We aim to keep visitor information accurate; check current service details before travelling. Nothing in these terms excludes liability where doing so would be unlawful, including for fraud or death or personal injury caused by negligence, or removes your consumer rights. Contact us to report an error or a problem accessing the website.