Princes Risborough North Signalbox open day:

The traditional railway signal box, once immortalised by Charles Dickens, is fast disappearing from the UK’s railways!

As part of the Princes Risborough Town Festival, we are opening the Princes Risborough North Signal Box to visitors from 10.00 to 16.00 on Saturday 11 July 2026. No booking required and everyone is welcome.

Princes Risborough North 'box once controlled railways radiating to every point of the compass and today, it is the largest former Great Western Railway signal box still standing; but as many readers will know, it was out of use and had deteriorated during the two decades from it's closure in 1991 until the volunteers of the railway began work to restore it in 2013.

The building and much of the equipment is being rectified and restored to working order by volunteers of the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Assocation, including the renewal of 200 panes of smashed glass, the building of a replica outside staircase and, fittingly, the casting of replica nameplates which are now proudly on display

See the huge amount of restoration taken place so far and hear about our plans for the future.

Volunteers will be on hand to give you a tour and you will be able to view the railway from a signalman’s perspective and learn about mechanical signalling methods. We may even show you a basic demo of some of the ways in which railways were signalled!

While entry to the North Box is free, a donation to help fund the future restoration and development of the North Box would be appreciated. Tea and biscuits will be available.

 Details: 

• No booking is necessary - drop in any time between 10.00 and 16.00
• Access is via the restored Platform 4 at Princes Risborough railway station
• On arrival at the main station entrance, cross over the footbridge to Platform 3 then follow the signs onto Platform 4
• There is a rough footpath to the signal box from Platform 4 and a steep outside staircase - so robust footwear advised
• Visitor numbers inside the signal box are limited, so a short wait outside the box may be necessary
• Children must be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times
• Please keep away from the edge of all platforms at Princes Risborough, as high speed trains pass through some of them.

There are NO Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway heritage trains operating at Princes Risborough on Saturday 11 July, as this then allows us to offer visitors safe access to the signal box. We will however be delighted if you would like to travel with us on any of our open days - see below.

The PRNB website has more information about the restoration project.