We are pleased to announce the dates for the 2026 Forget-Me-Not Dementia Trains! Please join us again for our first Forget-Me-Not Dementia Train of 2026 on Wednesday 15 April. Followed by 4 further dates throughout the year:
All on Wednesdays – 17 June, 19 August, 21 October and our Christmas Jumper Special on 16 December.
As mentioned on our Social Media platforms, we are very proud to announce that the Forget-Me-Not Dementia Train has been short listed for a Rail Industry Award. The winners will be announced in March.
Click on this Forget Me Not Link to watch our train on BBC’s Morning Live programme or BBC Forget-Me-Not to see the BBC News report. To watch the 21st May Forget-Me-Not train, recorded by Channel 5 News, click here. The journey, which travels through some of the prettiest scenery in the country, follows the route of the River Esk for much of its length, passing through verdant farmland, rolling moors and picturesque villages.
The Forget-Me-Not train starts from Whitby station at 12.00 arriving in Middlesbrough at 13.32. The return journey will be 14.05 from Middlesbrough station arriving back in Whitby at 15.37. As it is also a normal service train, you can join us at any station along the line. For more information on the line, please follow this link to the Esk Valley Railway Line Guide.
Live music on board will be provided by the fabulous Dave Clegg Duo!
Complimentary hand massages together with lots of other surprises along the way. Please bring a picnic as there are no refreshments available (on board or at Middlesbrough Station) then sit back and enjoy all this train has to offer!
You can purchase your tickets online from Northern Rail or from our ticket machines at our stations. Standard low fares and railcard discounts apply. Disabled Railcard holders and their carers travel at reduced prices. We look forward to welcoming you. For the latest travel information on the day of travel. Please check our website, social media or call 07584 419114 for updates.
PLEASE NOTE: We have very limited space for wheelchairs on the train. If you are able to fold up the wheelchair and access the train on foot, then we can store wheelchairs on board the train. Volunteers and Rail staff will be in attendance for boarding and disembarking the train.
If you have any other queries, or would like a digital copy of the poster and timetable, please email: trythetrain@eskvalleyrailway.co.uk
As I get on the train I’m met by a chatty group of ladies from Nunthorpe and Marton Knitters who have been travelling on the dementia train since it began. The group became involved with the Esk Valley Railway after they began yarn bombing Nunthorpe Station and were eventually asked to adopt the station alongside Nunthorpe in Bloom. “They do a grand job too,” said chair of Esk Valley Railway Company, Alan Williams.
I asked the ladies what they like about the train and found myself bombarded with answers. “It’s beautiful scenery for a start off and a safe environment,” said Anne, who was engaged in creating one of the attractive Forget-me-Not brooches given to all who ride the train.
Alan said the dementia train was the brainchild of wife Lisa, who runs Community Rail Partnership: “We started the Forget-me-Not train because we realised that more and more people are stuck in the house all day. So, we encourage them to bring a picnic and provide music. The Dementia Association told us that music helps people and I think you can actually watch it bring people alive.”
February’s train saw passengers joined by a more unusual traveller, a Pets As Therapy (PAT) dog, also thought to be beneficial for people with dementia.
The project has proved so successful that the group has received enquiries from across the country: Alan said: “We’re lucky that the line is self contained, although we do currently have to change trains in Middlesbrough as this one continues to Hexham.”
One of the things which makes the journey so special is that passengers can choose how much time to spend on the train. They may join at any station en-route, so if you feel the full return journey is too long, you can adjust your plans accordingly.
Lisa, who was also offering relaxing hand massages to those on the service, said: “I’m so thrilled, I’ve just had a card to say thank you for what we do, it’s such a positive thing.”
Train guard Jon said: “It’s a fantastic atmosphere, I wish that all my journeys were like this.”
There is a fabulous air of happiness and enthusiasm on the train, but perhaps the best way to explain what the Forget-me-Not train really means is to let those travelling tell you. Graham and Paul travelled from Scarborough to join the train and have been on every service so far. Paul, 51, was diagnosed with dementia at the age of just 47. The former RAF man is beaming as he tells me how he travelled the world. Graham, his support worker (a title he takes reluctantly, prefering to stress that Paul is his friend), said: “It’s a great idea, just so beneficial. It’s great to get out and it helps others. It’s been just like a breath of fresh air.”