Thompson Park Miniature Railway (BPMRS)
WHERE
Burnley
What it’s like
A quick miniature train ride round Thompson Park, running whenever there's demand rather than to a timetable.
The ride itself is short, about seven minutes on the miniature railway, so don't build a whole afternoon around it. There's no fixed timetable either, trains go when there are enough people waiting, which is fine on a quiet weekday but can mean standing about a bit if a crowd turns up ahead of you.
It runs daily from midday to just before 4pm. Being volunteer-run keeps it feeling low-key rather than polished, but it also means nobody on site can help if the car park's pay-by-phone system is playing up or if the café happens to be shut, so sort your parking before you get distracted by the trains.
Parking on site costs £2.50 via MIPermit. If you'd rather leave the car, Burnley Central station is the nearest stop on the East Lancashire Line, or there are buses along Colne Road outside the Prestige Retail Park.
Private party bookings aren't taken any more, but if you've got a birthday group with you, they can still ride the trains operating that day using wristbands between midday and 4pm.
Need to know
- Parking
- On-site car park with pay by phone charge of £2.50 via MIPermit
- How long to allow
- Approximately 7 minutes
- Getting there by bus or train
- Burnley Central railway station on East Lancashire Line (closest)
- Parties
- No longer accepts bookings for private parties
- Trains run as required rather than to a set timetable, so there can be a short wait when it's busy
- Parking is pay by phone via MIPermit at £2.50, and the site can't sort issues with it as it's volunteer-run
- Burnley Central station and buses on Colne Road are options if you'd rather not drive
- Party bookings aren't taken, but groups can still ride with wristbands on the day
Plan your visit
Do we need to book a ride?
No booking, you just turn up. There's no fixed timetable, trains run as required, so at busy times you might wait a bit for enough passengers.
How long does the ride last?
Around seven minutes, so it's a quick add-on to a walk round the park rather than the main event.
Is there parking?
There's an on-site car park, £2.50 to pay by phone through MIPermit. Being volunteer-run, staff can't help if the payment system has issues.
Can we book it for a birthday party?
Private party bookings have stopped, but party groups are welcome to ride on the day with wristbands between 12pm and 4pm.
What are the opening hours?
Daily from midday to 3:50pm.
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