Volunteering Open Day 2021

The Dean Forest Railway Society is holding an open day on Sunday 19th September 2021 for members of the public, interested in volunteering at the railway, to take a look behind the scenes and find out more about the roles on offer.

Potential volunteers will get the chance to look behind the scenes in a signal box, take a free ride on the train to Parkend, see restoration work close-up on a tour of the workshops, and chat with our volunteers to see what it’s really like!

We have regular parties working on vegetation control, track maintenance and relaying. Other volunteers are driving trains, checking tickets, operating signals, restoring and maintaining engines and carriages, rebuilding wagons, assisting in the café or shop and greeting visitors. Training is given for all roles, especially those which are safety-critical. As a ‘thank-you’ Society members gain discounts in the shop, café and for travel on the line.

The day will start at 10am at Norchard Station, with a talk outlining the opportunities for all available at the railway, from Café and Shop work, locomotive crews, guards and signalmen, to heavy maintenance and restoration work. Representatives will be on hand from various areas of the railway to hopefully sign up lots of new recruits!

The DFR’s main centre at Norchard Station is just north of Lydney and well marked by brown tourism signposts. It is less than a 45-minute drive from Bristol, Newport, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, whilst Worcester, Hereford, Cardiff and Bath are all within the hour by car.

Booking for this event is essential; you can book your place for free through this website. For any further information, please call 01594 845840 or email society@deanforestrailway.co.uk