Travel back in time on our heritage train for an action-packed adventure with the dinosaurs on the Jurassic Express.

Get out the safari suit and dust off your pith helmet – it’s dinosaur time! Join our heritage diesel train for a trip to a mystery destination* to enjoy the country’s original and best dinosaur train – the Jurassic Express

This is a perfect day out for the little (and not so little) dinosaur fans in your family. Board the train to begin your dinosaur adventure, travelling down the line to an interactive 30 minute performance with Roary the T-Rex and his friends. After the show there’s plenty of time for photos and fun with the dinosaurs before boarding your train home.

Back in Downpatrick there’s time to explore our carriage gallery full of old locomotives and carriages, visit the signal cabin, and buy a souvenir.

*OK, it’s not a mystery, it’s really Inch Abbey!

What happens during my visit?

Your journey starts at our Downpatrick station. Please arrive in good time to be sure not to miss your train.

When the train arrives at Inch Abbey, you will be invited to walk the short distance down to our Inch Abbey park, where there will be an interactive session with Roary the T-rex and his dinosaur friends.

There will be plenty of opportunities for photos and selfies with the dinosaurs. If you’re still taking photos when the time comes for the train home, don’t worry, we will send an extra train out to bring you home, you don’t need to wait for ages.

Snacks and drinks will be sold on board the train from the buffet counter, which will wait at Inch Abbey station during each performance.

The train and stations are all fully wheelchair accessible. Please see this page for more details about accessibility. Please select the Wheelchair space required option when you are checking out.

Toilet facilities are available at both Downpatrick and Inch Abbey stations

Prices & tickets

Charges are detailed below. Additional charges apply for food and drinks in the buffet and gifts in the shop. Donations are also welcome.

• Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children, or 1 adult + 3 children): £46
• Additional adults: £12.50
• Additional children (all ages): £12.50
• Infants (not requiring a seat): FREE
• Carers: FREE (Please see our Carers Policy for more details)

Summer events at DCDR are supported by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Times

Jurassic Express trains depart from Downpatrick at: 10:30, 12:00, 13:30 and 15:00

Summer events at DCDR are supported by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

Jurassic Express – your questions answered

We’ve listed the common questions about our Jurassic Express trains below. Use our Contact Us page if your question isn’t covered here.

Where does the train go?

The train runs to the platform at Inch Abbey and will return back to Downpatrick station.  Passengers will leave the train at Inch Abbey for a 30 minute activity with the dinosaurs. There is time after the show for photos, and if you’re not finished by the time the train departs back for Downpatrick, we will send a special train back ASAP to take you home.

I am a carer – do I have to pay?

Carers can travel free of charge if they meet the criteria in our Carers Policy. You can’t book this online, so please contact us after you book for the rest of your group to arrange this, explaining your requirements. You can contact us here to arrange your carer’s ticket.

How long does the visit last?

Your dinosaur experience will last approximately one hours, but you are free to explore other areas of the railway including our museums, model railway, signal cabin and gift shop afterwards. This is an outdoor event and will proceed in any weather that County Down can throw at us, so bring a coat if it’s going to rain, or bring the factor 50 sun cream if it’s a rare sunny day.

Do I have to pre-book?

Yes. Advanced booking is essential. We will not have any ticket selling facilities on the day.

I don’t have a printer, what do I do with my tickets?

Don’t worry. You don’t need to print your ticket out, though some people do find it handy. In fact, it’s environmentally friendly if you don’t. You can just show us your ticket on your phone, or you can even write down the booking reference and bring it with you.

What if I miss my train?

If you miss your booked time, we will try our best to accommodate you on the next train. If you manage to miss the last train of the day, then we will do our best to get you re-booked for another day.

Do you have wheelchair access?

Yes. We have wheelchair access into the main station building, as well as wheelchair friendly carriages with double-doors, and accessible toilets at Downpatrick Station building and Inch Abbey platform. Please ask a member of staff for help into the carriages, as a ramp will need to be used. At checkout, please select the option ‘Wheelchair space required’. You can also use our Contact Us page if you have specific requirements.

Can I bring a pram or buggy?

Space is limited on our trains, and it is not possible to wheel a pram down the carriages of the train you travel on. There is an area for prams and wheelchairs on one of our carriages, but we can only carry a few prams at a time. If possible, we would prefer you leave the pram in the station or in your car. Please talk to our station volunteers if you need help with this.

Where is the railway station?

Downpatrick Station is on the main Downpatrick-Newcastle road (the Ballydugan Road). The entrance for the station is between Rathkeltair House (the tax office) and the Translink bus station. Look out for the brown road signs that say Railway Museum and follow those.

For more details, please see our How to Find Us page for maps and directions.

Where can I board the train?

You can only start your journey at Downpatrick Station. Inch Abbey Station will not be open to arriving passengers.

Are dogs allowed?

Due to the nature of the event we can only welcome Assistance Dogs onto the train.

Can you take Visa/Mastercard/etc.?

Yes, we can take credit cards and debit cards via our online booking system, or if you prefer email us at info@downrail.co.uk and we can arrange to make booking and take payment over the phone. We cannot take any payments on the day.

Will there be toilets on the train?

There are no toilet facilities on the train but we will have toilets at Downpatrick station and one accessible toilet in the Inch Abbey platform car park, which is a short walk from the platform.

Will the shop and museum be open?

Our main Station and Museum may not be open due to an ongoing compliance issue with the building.

Will there be any food and drink available?

We will be operating a small buffet on the train where you will be able to purchase soft drinks and confectionery while the train is stationary at Inch Abbey platform.

Can we eat on the train?

You can indeed. Our buffet carriage will be selling a range of snacks and drinks, but we would ask that you clean all rubbish away on exiting the train.

If you need to bring your own food for kids with special dietary requirements then this is OK, but again we ask that you clean away all your rubbish afterwards.