The Railway Children at Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

Few stories capture the spirit of adventure and resilience like The Railway Children. Steam-powered storytelling at its finest, newly reimagined for Bradford 2025, this much-loved classic is pulling into the station in spectacular style this summer. As part of the UK City of Culture celebrations, E. Nesbit’s enchanting tale is being brought to life along the very tracks it helped make famous, in a production that blends theatrical magic with Yorkshire’s railway heritage.

Audiences are invited to step into the world of the Waterbury children. The experience begins at Keighley Station, where ticketholders board a real steam train and set off along the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway – the very same stretch of track seen in the iconic 1970 film adaptation. After winding through the Yorkshire countryside to an atmospheric soundscape, the train pulls into Oxenhope, where the performance takes place inside a specially built auditorium nestled in the station’s Engine Shed.

It’s a theatrical day out with a difference – steam engines, signal boxes and station platforms become the backdrop for this tale of family, courage and hope, set against the turbulence of Edwardian England. Directed by Damian Cruden and adapted by playwright Mike Kenny – whose version premiered to acclaim at the National Railway Museum in 2008 and went on to win an Olivier Award for its London staging at Waterloo Station – this fresh revival combines gentle nostalgia with dynamic storytelling.

Set in 1905, The Railway Children follows three siblings – Roberta, Peter and Phyllis – who are uprooted from wealthy Edwardian London to rural Yorkshire after their father, a Foreign Office worker, is falsely imprisoned for espionage. Adjusting to their new life, they find hope and adventure along the railway line as they slowly uncover the truth about his disappearance. It’s a story of kindness, justice and the quiet strength of children in the face of uncertainty.

As the train travels through the countryside, audiences will experience a specially created soundscape developed with Stand & Be Counted Theatre – the UK’s first Theatre Company of Sanctuary. Drawing on the character of Schepansky, a Russian refugee in the story, it threads themes of exile, kindness and belonging into the journey. It’s one of several smart touches that connect The Railway Children to the world we live in today.

Running throughout the school summer holidays with a brilliant scheme offering half-price tickets for children aged under 16, we love that The Railway Children has been reimagined with today’s audiences in mind.

Powered by steam, stagecraft and lots of heart, this timely and celebratory production of The Railway Children is a tribute to regional heritage, the power of storytelling and the magic of theatre on the move.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our guide for more things to do in and around Bradford 2025 – UK City of Culture.