Photographers' Personal Track Safety

The lineside of the Bluebell Railway is private property. Unauthorised access is not permitted, for the safety of all. If you wish to access the lineside for photographic purposes you may do so only if you hold a valid Bluebell Railway Photographer's Personal Track Safety (PTS) certificate and also comply with the Railway's rules and conditions. A certificate, valid for one year, is awarded after successful completion of a training session and assessment, including a satisfactory health declaration. The lower age limit for participation in the training and assessment is 16.

The cost for the Photographers' Personal Track Safety training session and assessment is £30.00 per person.

Separate arrangements for track-side working PTS are in place for staff who need to work lineside as part of their responsibilities on the railway.

Personal Track Safety training sessions for Lineside Photographers will be held at Sheffield Park on the following dates in 2017:

Saturday 28 January 2017
Thursday 23 February 2017
Tuesday 14 March 2017
Tuesday 18 April 2017
Saturday 27 May 2017
Tuesday 20 June 2017
Tuesday 25 July 2017
Saturday 26 August 2017
Thursday 21 September 2017
Saturday 21 October 2017
Tuesday 21 November 2017

The course runs from 10am (at Sheffield Park Station) to 1.30pm.

To book a training session please contact the Sales and Information Office on 01825 720800, or for more information please email our Safety Manager.

Please Note:
1. In places there are public footpaths near the line, and over bridges. These locations are freely available to all.
2. PTS from other railways is not sufficient, since some of the Bluebell's track safety rules are different from those on other lines and the national network, and the Bluebell Photographers' PTS does not permit access to the entire lineside or the tunnel. Thus the Bluebell-specific personal track safety training is a mandatory requirement.
3. Access to the lineside of any railway line without appropriate authority is criminal (not civil) trespass. Around 60 people per year are killed whilst trespassing on railway property in the UK.
4. You should not trespass on private property adjacent to the line.
5. For the safety of our trains and visitors, drones or similar airborne photographic platforms must not be operated from Bluebell Railway property or within 50m of Bluebell Railway property, except where specific authority is given. Further information available here - this is based on CAA regulations.