The Colne Valley Railway (CVR) is a heritage railway near Halstead in Essex. The railway occupies a mile-long stretch of what was once the Colne Valley and Halstead Railway (CVHR). It has a full signal box, station platforms and a wide variety of rolling stock. The railway’s rolling stock reflects Essex and the CVHR history.

After the closure of the CVHR in 1965, contractors lifted and removed all infrastructure. Following that, a local landowner purchased the land, but it remained unused until 1973 when a group acquired the land. This group, called the Colne Valley Railway Preservation Society (CVRPS), started the task of rebuilding the railway.

Volunteers relocated the station platform from the nearby Sible and Castle Hedingham station, brick by brick. The group relocated the signal box from the nearby Cressing. A bridge from Earls Colne in 1982 enabled the railway to cross the Colne River, extending the line towards Nunnery Junction.

Locomotives

The railway has many notable locomotives and rolling stock, but perhaps the most prominent is WD190. WD190 has been at the Colne Valley Railway since the very start. The Hunslet Engine Company built WD190 in 1952, and it arrived at the Colne Valley Railway in 1973. It is an Austerity class of locomotive, and this name reflects the class’s history as the standard shunting locomotive for use during the Second World War.

Exhibits 

The railway is host to a 1-mile length of track featuring Nunnery Junction and Drawell loop; it is also home to a 7¼” railway, a museum built with the help of lottery funding, a travelling post office exhibit and a 10x5m model railway. 

HST

In 2022, 4 HST’s came to the Colne Valley Railway, managed by the 125 Heritage group. They run driver experiences and HST days where visitors can ride the iconic trains through a rural Essex branch line. 

Wagon Group

The wagon group was formed in 2024 to preserve, restore and demonstrate rolling stock with a connection to the railway or to the local and surrounding area. They are, at present, restoring Esso 1855, which has been at the railway for 30 years.