Semaphore to Fort Glanville Railway Steam Train Rides | Review

Semaphore Trains

Semaphore Train Ride Review – Semaphore to Fort Glanville Tourist Railway

The Semaphore to Fort Glanville Tourist Railway is a scenic 2km long 457mm gauge railway operated by the National Railway Museum and is a fun activity to enjoy with your family and visitors from interstate or overseas.

The train can be boarded from the Semaphore Jetty Railway Station located on the Semaphore Foreshore near the foot of the jetty.  We had Steam Locomotive No.6 ‘Bill’ pull along our open carriages on a gorgeous sunny day in April.  Once all passengers are seated, the train travels along parallel with The Esplanade and the sand dunes, overlooking the pristine waters of the beautiful Semaphore coastline.

Semaphore Trains

The little ones love to wave at people passing by and the open carriage view is a joy for all on board.  From Semaphore’s beautiful swimming beaches you then pass through the dunes near historic Fort Glanville at Point Malcolm.  South Australia’s first fort, Fort Glanville was built to guard both the entrance to Port Adelaide and the anchorage at Semaphore. It was built on sand hills near Glanville Hall at Semaphore Park known as Point Malcolm, an area chosen to guard shipping sailing to both the Port River and the Outer Harbour.

Semaphore Trains

On returning to the station you can also watch the train be unhooked from the carriages before being manually turned around and re-attached to head off again in the right direction.   It’s a fun, relaxing ride for the whole family.

Semaphore Train Station

Semaphore Trains

Semaphore Trains: Hours of Operation

  • Every Sunday and Public Holiday from October to April (inclusive)
  • Daily during school holidays in September/October and April (except Tuesdays and Thursdays)
  • Daily from 26 December to the end of January school holidays
  • Steam trains will depart between 11am and 4pm, roughly every hour or at frequencies varied according to demand.

The Semaphore to Fort Glanville railway does not operate if the forecast temperature for Adelaide is 36 degrees or above.

Prices

Prices (as at October 2020) are:

  • Adult | $9
  • Child | $5 (3-15 years)
  • Family | $22 (4 people including at least one child)

Railway Notes:

Tickets for the Semaphore to Fort Glanville railway are sold separately from Museum admission – the prices listed above are for the train ride only.  Admission to the Museum can be purchased separately – see our post here for the National Railway Museum.

What to see in Semaphore

Semaphore has loads of summer attractions including the beach and jetty, water slides, the Semaphore Carousel, playgrounds and the popular Semaphore Road cafe strip with shops and restaurants.

things to do in Adelaide for families


For more information and all enquiries please visit the National Railway Museum website.

What:   Semaphore to Fort Glanville Railway

When:  See the National Railway Museum site here for hours of operation

Where:   Semaphore Jetty Railway Station, Semaphore

Who:   All Ages

All photographs by Play & Go Adelaide 2012.

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

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3 Responses to “Semaphore to Fort Glanville Railway Steam Train Rides | Review”

  1. October 8, 2015 at 6:53 pm #

    We travelled from Marion to Semaphore today (Thursday 8th October) with our grandchildren of 6 and 3 to ride on the train. The children were very excited.

    Much disappointment as train not running as per the hours stated above.

  2. October 11, 2015 at 10:23 pm #

    That is very disappointing. Their website states that they are running during the holidays: http://www.natrailmuseum.org.au/rides.php

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