Pit to Port
Coal Train Event
Our ‘Pit to Port’ Coal Train Event returns for 2026.
Sunday 24th & Monday 25th May 2026.
Step back into South Wales’ industrial past and experience how Blaenavon helped fuel the Industrial Revolution during our two-day Pit to Port event. At its peak, South Wales was one of the largest coalfields in the world, producing an astonishing 36 million tonnes of coal in 1913 alone. The railways that threaded their way along the valley floors were vital arteries, carrying coal from the pits southwards to the bustling ports and docks of Newport, Cardiff and Barry for export across the globe.
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​Continue your coal-themed visit by alighting at Big Pit Station and exploring the award-winning Big Pit National Coal Museum. Take the famous underground tour, led by a real former miner, descending 300 feet below ground into the original mine workings. This immersive experience offers a living, breathing insight into what life was really like for the men who worked at the coal face, bringing the human story of the coal industry vividly to life.
(Separate attraction - visit museum.wales/bigpit/ for more information)
Please note that children under the age of 14 are not allowed to travel unless accompanied by an adult fare paying passenger over the age of 18
Join us as we bring this story to life with an intensive working timetable, featuring both passenger services and demonstration coal trains. See first-hand how coal was moved from pit to port, just as it would have been during the height of the coal industry. Both Steam and Diesel locomotives will operate over the event - stay tuned for announcement’s.
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