Free miniature railway coming to Derby Market Hall this August
Families looking for a free summer holiday activity can visit The Market Express at Derby Market Hall across two weekends in August 2026. The ride-on miniature railway will be on the first floor of the Market Hall from 10am to 4pm daily, with no pre-booking required.
The event is aimed at families with children and is being organised by Arthur’s Here and There Railway in partnership with Derby City Council. Entry and the railway experience are free, so visitors can simply turn up during the published opening hours.
When to visit The Market Express
The railway will operate during two separate three-day runs rather than continuously throughout the period:
- Friday 21 August to Sunday 23 August 2026
- Friday 28 August to Sunday 30 August 2026
- Opening hours: 10am to 4pm each day
- Location: First floor, Derby Market Hall, Derby
- Cost: Free
- Booking: No advance booking is needed
The confirmed dates give families a choice of Friday, Saturday or Sunday on either weekend. Visitors should note the break between the two runs, when the attraction will not be operating.
What families can do inside the Market Hall
The centrepiece is a working ride-on miniature railway designed for children and parents to experience inside the historic Market Hall. Arthur’s Here and There Railway is a non-profit pop-up railway based in Belper, and owner Martin Paling said the team was looking forward to welcoming families to a railway experience within the venue.
Children can also contribute to a collaborative ‘Doodle Train’ art activity. Rather than being a separate exhibition to look at, this is a shared creative project in which visitors can take part.
Free railway-themed activity sheets will be available alongside the train. These include puzzles and games, plus a hand-illustrated colouring sheet showing the railway inside Derby Market Hall. Together, the ride, drawing activity and take-away sheets provide several options for children during the visit without adding a ticket cost.
Planning a visit
Derby City Council announced the event as part of the Market Hall’s summer programme. Councillor Gurkiran Kaur, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Culture and Tourism, said the railway weekends were intended to offer families a free school-holiday activity while encouraging visits to city-centre businesses.
The council’s announcement does not provide transport, parking or accessibility information for the event. Families who need those details should check the Derby Market Hall event information before travelling. Otherwise, there is no registration process: visitors can go to the Market Hall’s first floor between 10am and 4pm on any of the six confirmed event days.
Source: Derby City Council
Context & actions About this article
Source check Verified Event Details
The event details were verified against the official announcement from Derby City Council regarding the Market Hall summer schedule.
- Confirmed event dates for August 2026
- Verified free entry and no-booking policy
- Confirmed venue location within Market Hall
- Source
- Derby City Council News
- Scope
- Derby
- Updated
- 2026-08-04 15:16
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