North East based global attraction experience software specialists
n-gage.io helps Tanfield Railway to transform the heritage railway experience.
North East based global attraction experience software specialists n-gage.io has announced a new contract with Tanfield Railway, a heritage railway experience celebrating its 300th anniversary located in County Durham. Dating back to 1725, Tanfield Railway is the world’s oldest railway with an unrivalled history. The railway line was built to transport coal from the mining collieries in the Tanfield area of County Durham to the River Tyne for shipment using the latest technology and groundbreaking engineering of the time.
Today, passengers can step aboard for an unforgettable journey on lovingly restored locomotives and Victorian carriages, for a six mile round trip through the beautiful rolling County Durham countryside.
Tanfield Railway has just unveiled the new visitor experience mobile app to help visitors and railway enthusiasts, to make the most of their heritage railway experience. Given the volunteers team's reputation and passion for their restoration activity, the team at the heritage railway engaged attraction experience specialists n-gage.io to explore how mobile technology could play a wider part in their passenger experience strategy whilst also introducing a host of interactive features in a new mobile app to enhance the Tanfield Railway heritage experience.
The n-gage.io solution pairs the SaaS platform's highly customisable visitor mobile app with its powerful attraction management software to deliver the local team both the tools and data insights they need to enhance the visitor experience and deepen engagement with them in real-time.
The railway plans to use the app as a focal point for its visitors, passengers and the local community, to better explain its history, industrial railway collection and 300th anniversary. Passengers can enjoy interactive heritage experiences as they walk and also travel along the line using the software’s innovative mobile app trails feature.
The railway also plans to use the app to keep their supporters and sponsors up to date with their valuable restoration and conservation work alongside details of their latest campaigns, event programmes and experiences. The team will also make use of valuable data insights to improve engagement and refine campaigns to help drive fundraising through targeted and personalised notifications.
The railway was recently the proud recipient of a double award at the Heritage Railway Association Awards 2025. The HRA awards celebrate excellence or innovation in almost every aspect of heritage railway and tramway restoration, preservation, and operation.
"We're delighted to launch our new Tanfield Railway App and offer our visitors and passengers an enhanced digital experience," said David Watchman, General Manager at Tanfield Railway. “n-gage.io has developed a software platform and mobile app that’s helping the attraction industry to transform their approach to visitor engagement, whilst delivering business critical insights to help improve operations and drive revenue growth, something which is so vital to us in the industry. The technology will certainly help us to enhance the heritage railway experience and deliver another form of digital media around the restoration and conservation work of the organisation. We believe the software and app to be a game changer for the heritage railway industry when it comes to raising awareness of our work and delivering a more personalised experience.”
"We're delighted to be supporting the work of the iconic Tanfield Railway, said Bryan Hoare, CEO of n-gage.io. "The team are renowned for their vital restoration work, and it’s great to know our technology is playing a part in helping to transform the heritage experience of the world’s oldest railway line, whilst giving the Tanfield team the tools they need to help improve operations and drive revenue growth. During 2025, Railway 200 celebrates 200 years of the modern railway, so what better time for us to be supporting the industry with our technology”.