Vicky Mayer discovers all you need to know about riding in style on a Northern Belle train Christmas comes early It’s my first time on a Northern Belle train and along with my mum Ena, I am looking forward to a five-hour round-trip from Victoria travelling to Dover and back. We are on board to […]
Tag: heritage railway
Railway expert Rob Carroll shares his tips for on the five best rail journeys to book for 2022 After nearly 15 years of organising escorted rail holidays for groups, I recently rejoined the Leger Shearings Group. ‘What has coach travel got to do with railways?’ you might ask. Well, there have always been enthralling, nostalgic […]
Tune in go behind the scenes and discover the secrets of Hornby – the greatest train model maker in the world Known throughout the world as the best train model making company in the world, Hornby is a legend to people of all ages. And now Hornby fans can go behind the scenes to discover […]
Jools Townsend is CEO of the Community Rail Network. Here she reveals why Scenic Rail Britain is promoting UK rail travel in 2021 and which train journeys get her vote Why is Scenic Rail Britain promoting the joys of rail travel in the UK? Our campaign is all about promoting sustainable days out, especially on […]
Looking to ride on a heritage railway in Scotland? We’ve got the full list of Scotland’s amazing heritage railways. So read our guide and book a journey today on one of these beauties and celebrate the golden age of rail travel. Central Highlands Keith & Dufftown Railway, Dufftown, Banffshire and Keith, Morayshire. This railway uses […]
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How to future proof your next train holiday
We’ve got the green light from Boris Johnson to travel again, so read on to find out how to future proof your next train holiday Know your dates Boris Johnson has announced the restart dates for holidays in Britain as part of his road map out of lockdown. Holidays in England can restart from April […]
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North Yorkshire Moors Railway, UK
Take a trip back in time on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, one of Britain’s most scenic railway routes. The train covers 24 miles through some of North Yorkshire’s most amazing scenery, with guests travelling behind heritage steam locomotives in historic carriages. Everything about this trip evokes nostalgia, from the grandeur of the its Pullman […]
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage tourist steam railway in the Severn Valley – a beautiful part of the counties of Worcestershire and Shropshire. The train operates manly steam-hauled passengers carriages between Kidderminster, Bewdley and Bridgnorth, travelling for 16 miles through stunning British countryside. Appealing to all ages, from train enthusiast to families to […]
In 1963 Richard Beeching wrote a report for the British government that identified 2,363 stations and 5,000 miles of railway line for closure; 55% of stations and 30% of route miles. Subsequently many small stations were closed. But some survived the cuts and some were even reinstated. Here, Michael Portillo celebrates five of the survivors. […]
British heritage lines don’t get more charming than the Bluebell Railway, an 11-mile scenic railway through the picturesque scenery of West Sussex (and a little bit of East). The Bluebell Railway runs between East Grinstead and Sheffield Park, stopping at Horsted Keynes and Kingscote, and guest with an ‘All Day Rover’ ticket can hop on […]
Step back in time on these nostalgic steam train trips, a charming way to experience a bygone era of travel
The Royal Gorge Route Railroad is a heritage rail route in Cañon City, Colorado. Transiting the scenic Royal Gorge on a two-hour adventure to Parkdale, the train rails through the most famed portion of the former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. It runs through the hair-raising steep-walled canyon and along the Arkansas river, a […]
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Mount Washington Cog Railway – USA
The Mountain Cog Railway was the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway, a tiny toy-train like vehicle climbing Mount Washington in the US state of New Hampshire. More than 150 years since its conception, it’s still the only one of its kind operating in North America, and passengers can ride the route from Marshfield Base Station […]
Snaking through rugged ravines and the pristine countryside of Colorado, the Durango & Silverton Railroad takes passengers on an adventure through the San Juan Mountains. Built in 1882 to transport silver and gold from the mines, the train is now a heritage rail route, starting in Durango and journeying to historic Silverton on 72.7km of […]
The Welsh Highland Railway, which runs for 26 miles through Snowdonia National Park, is Britain’s longest heritage railway line. Departing from Caernarfon, it passes the foot of Snowdon and the quaint village of Beddgelert, then through Aberglaslyn Pass and on to Porthmadog. The full return journey is approximately six hours, however shorter trips (for example Porthmadog […]
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow-gauge heritage railway in Gwynedd, Wales. With comfortable carriages and historic steam engines, it offers travellers the chance to take a trip though the picturesque Snowdonia National Park on a 14-mile journey from the harbour in Porthmadog to the historic slate-quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. On the journey you’ll see stunning coastlines, […]
The Road to the Isles is a wild, remote and rugged route across the Scottish Highlands, and travellers are able to explore this route aboard the Jacobite train. Described as the greatest railway journey in the world, the Jacobite takes passengers on an 84-mile round-trip from Fort William to Mallaig through some of the most […]
The Bure Valley Railway is a popular heritage railway which runs steam and diesel trains between the pretty market towns of Aylsham and Wroxham, in England’s Norfolk Broads. Guests can join the trains on a one-way (nine mile, 45-minute trip) or take a round-trip for 18 miles. You can hop on and off anywhere along the […]
The Avon Valley Railway is a very popular three-mile long heritage railway based at Bitton station in South Gloucestershire in England. The original line was opened in 1869 by the Midland Railway company as a through-route between Birmingham and the South Coast. It was closed in the 1960s but later restored by a team of railway […]
Known in English as the Old Patagonian Express, the La Trochita is a steam train ploughing a narrow-gauge railway in Patagonia, Argentina. It’s an incredibly stunning journey, sandwiches between the plains of Patagonia and the peaks of the Andes, with the train pulled by steam locomotives and offering photo opportunities at every moment. Now a […]