Southend Pier Railway everything you need to know when visiting

Southend Pier Railway everything you need to know when visiting. Last weekend we went to Southend on Sea and the boys requested a trip to the pier. Southend pier is the longest pier in the UK and they wanted to try crabbing off of the end of it. Unfortunately, the crabs did not make an appearance but there was plenty to keep us entertained. Including the Southend Pier Railway which is also the only railway on a pier in the UK. If you are thinking of visiting here are some top tips which we learnt during our visit. 

Where to park when visiting Southend Pier Railway

There are several places to park. However, if you are looking to get as close as possible to the pier then there are a few spaces available on the road opposite. We arrived around 10.15 on a Sunday morning and we parked without a problem. There is also some more on-the-road parking a little further away. 

Tickets & Prices for the Southend Pier Railway

You have to pay to go on the world’s longest pleasure pier. Even if you do not want to take the rain down. We opted to take the train both there and back. But you can also walk down and then get the train back or take the train down and then walk back. Depending on what you decide will ultimately determine how much it costs. 

The full length of the pier is 1.34 miles long so takes around half an hour to walk at a reasonable pace in the fresh sea air. To walk both ways costs £2 for an adult and £1 for a child (5-16 years) or a concession (over the 60s, Student ID required or disabled). To take the train one way and walk the other it costs £5.10 for an adult or £2.40 for a child or concession. They also offer family tickets which are £12.60 and cover two adults and up to three children. We opted for the last option which is to catch the train both ways. This costs £5.60 for an adult, £2.80 for a child or concession and £14.10 for a family ticket.

The ticket office is as you enter the pier having to actually go through it. Trains run every half an hour or so from 10.15 am in the morning until last entry at 8 pm at night. Although the last admission is one hour before the pier closes. 

Southend Pier Museum

There is a small pier museum which is located at the shore end of Southend Pier near the gift shop. When you are in reception you will see a signpost off to the right of the train station. The museum is located in the old workshops and showcases the history of Southend pier. Open on selected dates only as it is a charity-run organisation which is dependent on the help of volunteers. You can find the opening times on their website. It costs £2.50 per adult with accompanying children being able to enter for free.

Southend Pier Railway 

So what did we think? The train carriages that we went in have been in operation since 1986 and are being replaced shortly with a new pier train. We found them perfectly adequate though and managed to get a carriage to ourselves on both the way out and the way back. There was plenty of room for a buggy. Dogs unless assistance dogs are not allowed on the pier. We didn’t have to queue either way. Which was more by luck than judgement. 

The journey itself is a very leisurely 5-10 mph depending on where the pier they are in a straight line. The journey on the narrow gauge railway did not take very long around ten minutes. But the boys enjoyed looking out of the windows. Although there is not much to look at just large expanses of blue! Saying that if you are train-mad and fancy a different type of train ride then this is for you. I was surprised by just how low down the pier’s wooden structure is. It is quite close to the water, so I can imagine when the sea is rough that it would actually come over the tracks. 

What is there to do at the end of the pier?

There are several different places to eat at the end of the pier plus a selection of treats being sold in the beach huts. Ice cream is a must. There is also small 18 hole crazy golf which costs £4 or £12 for a family of four. There is an RNLI station where you can see the lifeboats and have a nose in the shop. We brought bait here to try our hand at crabbing.

You can also fish off the end of the pier but you do have to pay to do this. There is a two-rod limit and the price is £7.80 for an adult and £3.90 for a concession. We stopped and watched some people fishing for a little bit. And they seemed to catch a reasonable amount. They were a lot more productive than we were when crabbing!

There is a selection of different places where you can grab drinks and light snacks.

Right at the end, there is a sun deck with plenty of seating. We were so lucky with the weather considering it was halfway through September when we visited. It was really hot up on the deck so remember your sun creme when you visit. There is plenty to do for the whole family.

What else is there to see at Southend?

We spent a couple of hours on the pier. But if you want to make a day of it then there are some other things which you can do. Of course, there is the beach itself. And there are also a number of different arcades to spend your pocket money in. You can not miss them. Big bright flashing lights tempting you in.

Another attraction is the Cliff Lift which is currently closed because of the pandemic. Although it is only forty meters high at £1 per person the one car can take up to twelve people at a time. And has an incline of 43%. It is also located almost directly opposite the pier and so it is easy to combine with the train.

Have you been to Southend? What do you like to do there?

READ MORE – If you are considering other things to do in Essex we really enjoyed a visit to Audley End part of the English Heritage. 

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