The Elsecar Heritage Railway is made up of a group of volunteers committed to the preservation, restoration and expansion of a preserved railway in South Yorkshire. EHR Volunteers carry out all duties on the railway, from driving the engines to maintaining the track.

The group intends to extend the railway from its current base at Elsecar, a further mile along the former colliery branch, to the new Cortonwood Retail Park. The railway would then be able to provide a service for tourists and shoppers alike, travelling behind a heritage steam or diesel locomotives and rolling stock lovingly restored by the group.

Without the dedication and efforts of the volunteers, the only preserved railway in South Yorkshire would cease to operate. The group are always looking to recruit new volunteers. Anyone interested should speak to any contact the group via the methods shown here for further details. By volunteering with the group you can learn several new skills such as locomotive operation and maintenance as well as preserving and operating a heritage railway for everybody’s enjoyment.

On the 1st of March 2006, the Elsecar Railway Preservation Group signed a lease for the railway from Barnsley Council. The gaining of a lease for the railway has been achieved after many years of hard negotiations. The group have signed a 50 year lease of the railway which was previously managed and funded Barnsley Council. This is a major milestone in the history of the Elsecar Railway as the group is now able to apply for much needed funding for locomotive overhauls and the extension of the line to Cortonwood. In 2007 it was decided to change the name of the group to the Elsecar Heritage Railway as this better reflects the railway and its intentions.