Gearing up for the Christmas market
Itineraries aplenty as operators aim to serve established favourite destinations.
WITH Christmas fast approaching, railtour companies are starting to take bookings for charter trains to Christmas markets, as well as festive dining trains.
Steam Dreams will be running a number of special trains in the lead up to Christmas, each featuring ‘A1’ No. 60163
Tornado. The first of these is on November 18, with a train destined for York.
Starting at King’s Cross (c.08.15) Tornado will haul the train as far as Doncaster where a diesel takes over for the final 32 miles. Station calls will be made at Hertford North, Stevenage, St Neots and Peterborough, and
Tornado will haul the return train back to the Capital, with an estimated arrival of 22.15. Premium standard fares are £119, Premier dining £249 with Pullman style dining at £294.
The next offering from Steam Dreams is on November 30, with
Tornado hauling an excursion from London Victoria to Bath. Fares for this train are £109 in premium standard, Premier dining £209 with Pullman style dining at £269. Additional station pick-up/set down points are Staines and Woking.
Although the Bath Christmas Market in its usual format has been cancelled, the organisers are planning to announce some alternative festive activities and Steam Dreams has pledged to keep passengers informed of any updates.
With the highly popular Lincoln Christmas market still planned to take place between December 2-5 (subject to any interim changes in Government coronavirus restrictions), on December 5, Tornado will operate from London King’s Cross to Lincoln, calling at Potters Bar and Hitchin. With a departure time of around 09.30 and an arrival time in Lincoln at around 13.30, passengers will have around four hours to enjoy one of the most famous traditional Christmas markets. Fares begin at £109 for premium standard, with Premier dining £229 and Pullman style dining at £279.
Christmas carols
The final festive market offering from Steam Dreams is from, unusually, Southend East to Oxford on December 9, calling only at Upminster. Starting diesel hauled from the Essex resort, ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado will take over the train in the Acton area and continue to Oxford where passengers are able to enjoy the Christmas market or participate in a carol service in one of the city’s oldest churches. Fares begin at £119 in premium standard, Premier dining £219 with Pullman style dining at £279.
Full details of these and other
Steam Dreams tours can be found at www.steamdreams. co.uk or book by calling 01483 209888.
UK Railtours is planning a special on December 18 to the East Yorkshire market town of Beverley for a carol concert at its famous minster. The popular town is noted for its narrow, cobbled streets and independent shops.
The ‘Beverley Christmas Carol’ tour is diesel-hauled from London King’s Cross (dep approx 07.50), and will call en route at Potters Bar, Stevenage and Peterborough, arriving in Beverley with time for a four-hour visit. Estimated arrival time back in London is just before 22.00.
Fares, which include admission to the minster and the popular carol concert, start at £99 Standard (junior £89), with other options being First Class non-dining £149, First Class dining £239 and First Class dining for a party of four £936. As of mid-September, there was availability in all classes. More at www.ukrailtours.com or by calling 01438 715050.
As a precursor to the Beverley Christmas Carol, on November 27, UK Railtours will be running a train from London Euston to Blackpool North. An 08.40 departure from London and a lunchtime arrival in the famous north west resort allows plenty of time to explore what’s on offer before the illuminations are switched on and Blackpool’s famous illuminated heritage trams begin operating.
Departure for London is at around 19.30, with an arrival back in London around midnight. Additional station calls outward and return are Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Northampton and Rugby.
Fares begin at £97 Standard (junior £87), other fares are First Class non-dining £137, First Class dining £197 and First Class dining for a party of four £768. The optional heritage tram tour costs £10. First Class Dining is not available from or back to Northampton or Rugby.
The festive offering from Pathfinder Tours this year will be the ‘Chester Christmas Cracker’ on December 11, starting from Eastleigh (c.06.30), this train will call at Basingstoke, Reading West, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse and Gloucester. After Gloucester, the train will continue south west alongside the Severn Estuary, before taking the Maindee West curve at Newport for a run over the North and West route via Hereford and Shrewsbury thence via Crewe to arrive in Chester around 1400. The return route will be via Birmingham and the Lickey.
Motive power for this train was to have been No. D1015 Western Champion, but after its test run failure and subsequent withdrawal from the mainline duties, it is expected a pair of Class 50s will deputise. Fares are: Adult Standard £109, junior £55, party of four £416; First Class adult £155, junior £115, party of four £600; First Class plus £179, junior £139, party of four £696 and Premier Dining, adult £289, junior £249, party of four £1136.
Chatsworth wonderland
There are also a number of festive trains from the Locomotive Services Limited stable as part of their three individual distinctive brands.
Saphos Trains has three trains, the first on December 8 is the ‘Christmas Sparkle Express’ from Carnforth to Chesterfield for transfer to road coaches to visit Chatsworth House, where the grand interiors are transformed into a Christmas wonderland with staff wearing Dickensian costumes.
After pick-ups at Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western and Warrington, this will be steam-hauled from Crewe to Chesterfield and back with additional calls at Stafford and Lichfield Trent Valley. The section from and to Carnforth will be hauled by modern traction. The steam loco will be from the LSL ‘pool’ of No. 46100 Royal Scot, No. 34046 Braunton or No. 70000 Britannia.
Fares begin at £150 Standard
Class, with a First Class nondining compartment seating six costing £1180. Premier dining costs £350 per person. Saphos say this tour is not suitable for guests requiring the use of a wheelchair or with severe mobility issues.
A week later on December 15, is the ‘Christmas White Rose’, running from Llandudno Junction to York, calling at Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Flint, Shotton, Chester, Frodsham, Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows and Manchester Victoria before running via the Hope Valley. Return will be via the Calder Valley route.
Steam will be from Chester to York and back using one of the LSL pool of steam locos, Royal Scot, Braunton or Britannia.
Fares are from £120 Standard Class, First class £165, with a First Class compartment (nondining) seating six costing £999 and Premier Dining at £320 per person.
The final Saphos offering for 2021 will be the ‘Pennine Christmas Cracker’ on December 18. The special begins at Rugby, and calls at Coventry, Hamptonin-Arden, Birmingham International, Tame Bridge Parkway, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford and Crewe where steam takes over for circular tour over the Pennines, via Blackburn and Copy Pit before returning to Crewe via Chat Moss.
Traction will be one of the aforementioned steam locos, and fares are from £120 Standard Class, First Class from £165, with a First Class compartment (non-dining) seating six costing £999 and Premier Dining at £320 per person.
Full details at saphostrains. com or call 0800 038 5320.
Also from the LSL stable, its Blue Pullman style HST set has one outing on December 4, from Dundee and Edinburgh to York for the festive markets, however, this train had sold out by mid-September.
Harringworth special
Vintage Trains’ Christmas begins with the traditional visit from Tyseley to Melton Mowbray on December 5. This train starts at Tyseley Loco
Works platform and will call at Coleshill Parkway and Nuneaton, with the train hauled by GWR 4-6-0 No. 7029 Clun Castle and Stanier ‘8P’ No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland in top-and-tail formation.
The reason for this is on arrival at Melton Mowbray, the train will then go forward to Corby and back as a separate operation, providing the opportunity for steam both ways over Harringworth Viaduct – the longest brick viaduct in the country.
For the main train from Tyseley to Melton, fares begin at £99 Tourist Class (Standard), £149 Club Class, £269 Pullman Class with breakfast and a four course evening dinner. First Class compartments, with breakfast and dinner, for six is available at £699.
On the lunchtime special over Harringworth viaduct and back, fares start at £29 Tourist Class, £59 Club Class, £79 Pullman Class (with two-course lunch, tea or coffee) and £349 for a
First Class compartment for six people, with lunch. On December 11, Vintage Trains is planning a Solihull to Bath special. The ‘Merchant Venturer’ will also call at Dorridge, Leamington Spa and Banbury with haulage by WR ‘Castle’ No. 7029 Clun Castle. Although the Bath Christmas Market has been cancelled by the organisers, alternative options are being planned, and at present, it is understood this train will run.
Vintage Trains are seating passengers in ‘bubbles’ of two, four or six, and this forms part of the booking process online. To book, call 0121 708 4960 or visit vintagetrains.co.uk
Finally, the Railway Touring Company is offering its customers the largest number of festive specials – 12 steam-hauled trains between November 20 and December 18.
Starting points range from London, Merseyside and York, with destinations of Edinburgh, Chester, Gloucester, Bath, Birmingham and Lincoln.
Steam locos to be used include No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland, 60163 Tornado and locos from the West Coast Railway Co pool.
More info at www. railwaytouring.net