‘Lizzie’ booked for six more ‘Northern Belles’
OPERATOR Northern Belle has doubled the number of planned steam-hauled trips to cope with a surge in public demand following the promised easing of lockdown restrictions.
With confidence returning to the home travel market, owner David Pitts and his team acted quickly following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement of his ‘roadmap' out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Northern Belle is to run six additional journeys over the Settle to Carlisle line using its Pullman carriages – all of which are booked to be hauled by LMS 4-6-2 No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth.
The extra dates will be: May 20 – from Liverpool, Warrington and Preston; July 30 – from Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke and Crewe; August 8 – from Glasgow; August 11 – from Crewe and Preston; August 18 – from Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Doncaster and Leeds, and October 23 – to be announced.
David said: “After kicking their heels in lockdown for so long, the British people are desperate to get out again, so we have quickly arranged a whole raft of new trips to cope with the demand.”
Recently featured on Channel 5's World's Most Scenic Railways programme, actor Bill Nighy described the Northern Belle as “the grand duchess of luxury trains” and told viewers: “Our plush grand tour has been the experience of a lifetime.”
➜ Fares for each passenger, including a champagne brunch and a five-course dinner, are £390. More at northernbelle. co.uk