Jonathan's Gen . uk | Railtours, Preserved Railway Events, Ferries and Service Trains Gen List

UK Railtours events
There are 10 entries

Sat 09 May 2026 UK Railtours (Railtour) More...
- The Dorset Coast Explorer (& Swanage Diesel Gala and Beer Festival) Saturday 9th May 2026 Join our special train providing easy access to the fabulous Swanage Diesel Gala and Beer Festival 2026 whilst enjoying Class 73 traction. Alternatively take in some late spring sunshine at either Bournemouth or Weymouth - both excursion train destinations that have proved their enduring popularity with so many of us over the years. With a GBRf Class 66 locomotive at the front of the train, we start the day at Derby from where we head south along the Midland Main Line with our first station call at East Midlands Parkway (with its excellent interchange facilities) and additional stops at Leicester, Kettering and Bedford before we access the West Coast Main Line at Bletchley. After one final pick up opportunity at Watford Junction, we pause at Acton Lane sidings to exchange our Class 66 locomotive with a pair of Electro-Diesel Class 73 engines that will lead us to Weymouth. Our route through the London suburbs is pretty typical, as we join the Southern Region proper at Old Kew Junction and subsequently pass Brentford, Staines and Virginia Water. Engineering works west of Woking fortuitously perhaps necessitates our train to be routed via Guildford and Haslemere before reaching the south coast at Havant from where we are never very far from the Channel Coastline as we skirt towards Southampton. Option 1 - Bournemouth It won't be long before we reach our first destination - the delightful Dorset coastal resort that is Bournemouth. Renowned for its seven mile uninterrupted stretch of golden sands, the town centre also boasts some notable Victorian architecture including the Grade I listed St Peters Church featuring its 202 ft spire. For those with deep pockets, why not visit Westover Road, known by the locals as the 'Bond Street of Bournemouth' such is the high end nature of the shops located there. Passengers alighting at Bournemouth will enjoy approximately six hours at the resort. Option 2 - The Swanage Railway We set down at Wareham for an easy private bus connection of about ten minutes (a supplement is payable when booking) to the Swanage Railway for what is arguably their most prestigious event of the year 'The Swanage Railway Diesel Gala and Beer Festival'. Corfe Castle station is the destination for those who prefer to enjoy a Spring afternoon sampling a wide array of hand picked beers and ciders. Alternatively, the railway will be operating an intensive timetable and your locally purchased rover ticket will afford you maximum flexibility to pick and choose the locomotives of your choice. Expect to arrive at Wareham during the early afternoon for a break of about five hours. Option 3 - Weymouth Located within the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site important for its geology and land forms, Weymouth is the extremity of the Southern Region third rail network and the ultimate destination of today's train. Enjoy over four hours exploring this famous holiday destination boasting Portland Harbour, where sailing events of the 2012 Olympic Games were held, visit the Sea Life centre which is home to over 1,000 examples of aquatic life or simply stroll along the sandy beaches that adorn the Weymouth coastline. With our day on the south coast complete, our return journey follows the route of the outbound, affording some excellent views of the Surrey countryside that may well be embellished by late evening sunshine. We say goodbye to our Class 73 locomotives at Acton Lane in favour our more modern Class 66 locomotive that will lead us north. The train will be operated by GB Railfreight utilising Eastern Rail Services Mk2 air conditioned carriages. All timings are provisional and intended only as a guide. Station Depart Arrive Derby 05.40 00.20 East Midlands Parkway 05.55 00.05 Leicester 06.30 23.35 Kettering 07.00 23.05 Bedford 07.30 22.40 Bletchley 08.15 21.55 Watford Jn 08.50 21.00 First Class Dining is not available on this train. A well stocked buffet serving a range of snacks and drinks will be available. Class Fare Availability Standard Class £139 Good Standard Class Junior £119 Good First Class Non Dining £239 Good Supplementary Option - Bus transfers between Wareham and Corfe Castle for Diesel Gala and Beer Festival

Sat 23 May 2026 UK Railtours (Railtour) More...
- The West Midlands Deviator Saturday 23rd May 2026 With 2026 close to yielding the maximum daylight, we are delighted to offer you an opportunity to explore the railways of the West Midlands in some depth. That's not all - included is some sought after track that is very likely to be required (Burton Wetmore Depot) and a line up of splendid English Electric heritage traction. For those wishing to maximise their mileage - the day starts early. We have opened up what otherwise would have been an empty coaching stock move to our passengers - affording you the opportunity to enjoy Romic Class 20 haulage from Derby (or East Midlands Parkway) to Bedford, where our tour proper will begin. Our return journey to East Midlands Parkway will be behind the splendid Class 50 locomotive, 50008 'Thunderer'. We deviate via Castle Donnington to approach Burton on Trent from the East. We will need to cross the entire ladder at Wetmore Junction so as to gain access to Nemesis Rail Depot. Here we will negotiate at least one of the roads adjacent to the shed building and, subject to the usual operational caveats, we may receive a little traction assistance from a resident locomotive. On departure, and after further navigation of the crossovers that form Wetmore Junction, we head west passing Lichfield City and following the Sutton Coldfield line. At Aston, we are routed via the diversionary line to Stechford and on to Leamington Spa via the Kenilworth Branch. After what we hope will be a quick reversal, and with the Class 20 locomotives once again at the helm, we proceed to the historic town of Stratford upon Avon. For some, the opportunity of a two hour lunchtime break perhaps to visit one of the many public houses and restaurants will prove compelling. For others however, the opportunity to further explore the local railways will take precedence as we embark on a lunchtime mini tour to Birmingham Moor Street via Whitlocks End and back. Our second departure from Stratford upon Avon once again takes us to central Birmingham - this time New Street station and pathed routed the alternative route via Dorridge. We climb through the tunnels to the west of New Street station, invariably a test for most diesel locomotives on long passenger trains and the acoustic performance can be eagerly anticipated. We veer right at Soho East Junction so as to route us towards Bescot and Walsall where we reverse. Once again the Class 20's lead and we take the route via Darlaston Jn as far as the goods loop at Bushbury Jn, where again we reverse so as to join the Oxley Chord towards Alstom's Oxley Traincare Centre, which we pass. However, we journey only as far as Codsall. Here another reversal uses the crossover outside of the station - most uncommon for a locomotive hauled passenger train. We continue via Wolverhampton station, Bescot and Aston into Birmingham New Street allowing those who wish to do so an opportunity to alight. For those who remain, our class 50 locomotive is now employed to take us back across the Sutton Coldfield line and via Castle Donnington for set down stations south as far as Bedford. UK Railtours would like to thank Hanson and Hall Rail Services and Romic Group for the provision of today's locomotives. We would also like to thank Nemesis Rail for the provision of Mk3 rolling stock and their invaluable contribution towards today's train. All timings are provisional and intended only as a guide. Station Depart Arrive Derby 05.30 N/A East Midlands Parkway 05.50 N/A Bedford 07.00 20.50 Kettering 07.30 20.30 Leicester 08.00 20.00 East Midlands Parkway 08.20 19.40 Lichfield Trent Valley High Level 10.30 N/A Burton on Trent N/A 19.00 Lichfield City N/A 18.40 Birmingham New Street N/A 17.50 This train will feature a well stocked buffet car serving a range of snacks and drinks. This train does not include a First Class Dining option. Class Fare Availability Standard Class £119 Good Standard Class Junior £99 Good First Class Non Dining £239 Good

Fri 29 May 2026 UK Railtours (Railtour) More...
- The Mancunian Princess Friday 29th May 2026 Our train today offers a wonderfully relaxed opportunity to enjoy the 125 Group's High Speed Train on routes both familiar and less so to these iconic trains. We start the day on the delightful East Lancashire Railway where for some the opportunity to traverse the connection onto Network Rail metals will perhaps be a coup. We have another 'first' lined up later in the day though nothing about today's route is mundane. After reversing at Castleton we navigate our way around the suburbs of Manchester passing both Victoria and Piccadilly stations giving access to the West Coast Main Line that we will follow south. We follow the Trent Valley route as far as Bletchley where we deviate in order to navigate the flyover onto the recently reopened East -West line. Whilst we cannot with certainty say that this is the first HST unit to traverse the line, past opportunities to do so have certainly been few and far between. We pass through Bicester Village and onto Oxford where, in contrast to the line we have just passed over, High Speed Trains were until recently commonplace. This affords us the opportunity to reminisce as we enjoy what we hope will be a spirited run into London. After passing Hanwell, we deviate on the triangle towards Greenford thus enabling our access onto the Chiltern line. We journey north, passing Denham and High Wycombe before arrival at Princes Risborough where our train will stable overnight in anticipation of the following day's tour to Saltburn. Our sincere thanks our train operator, Hanson and Hall Rail Services, The 125 Group and The East Lancashire Railway for facilitating today's special train. All timings are provisional and intended only as a guide. Station Depart Arrive Bury (ELR) 09.15 N/A Manchester Victoria 10.30 N/A Stockport 10.55 N/A Stoke on Trent 11.40 N/A Tamworth Low Level 12.15 N/A Nuneaton 12.30 N/A Milton Keynes Central 13.00 N/A Reading N/A 14.05 West Ruislip N/A 15.00 High Wycombe N/A 15.20 Princes Risborough N/A 15.30 Today's train is formed of The 125 Group's High Speed Train and will feature a well stocked buffet car serving a range of snacks and drinks. First Class Dining is not available on this train. Class Fare Availability Standard Class £79 Good First Class Non Dining £119 Good

Sat 30 May 2026 UK Railtours (Railtour) More...
- Teddy's Nook Saturday 30th May 2026 Today's tour on board the 125 Group's High Speed Train takes us to some of the most attractive coastline in the country - we visit the striking sea-side town of Saltburn which boasts one of the world's oldest water powered funicular railway as well as a Grade II listed pleasure pier - the only remaining example in the North East of England. And if the beach in late Spring is not quite your thing - stay on board for an interesting mini tour as we head to Gatehead via the scenic Durham Coast. Our day begins in Princes Risborough as we depart towards London, calling at High Wycombe and, unusually, at Denham, both exceptionally well connected to the motorway network. At South Ruislip we leave the Chiltern Line and head towards the Great Western Main Line via the Greenford branch. Shortly after passing Ealing Broadway we once again deviate onto secondary lines (this time it's the West London line) as we pass over the West Coast Main Line at Willesden before arriving at the infrequently used Harringay Curve, which provides our train access onto the very familiar East Coast Main Line (ECML). We can expect our progress from this point to be much more expeditious as we head north through the home counties and into the agricultural counties of Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. We expect to pass both Retford and Doncaster at speed before easing for the unmistakable sight of York station. We leave the ECML at Northallerton and head into Teeside. The landscape changes accordingly so it will perhaps be a surprise for those customers leaving the train at Saltburn that such an endearing sea-side town co-exists with some of the country's most industrial areas. Visitors will have all afternoon to enjoy the town's many seaside attractions that range from the aforementioned funicular railway, the half mile long miniature railway, the historic pier, extensive sandy beaches, a diverse range of walks as well as the usual array of hostelries and eateries to be found at a holiday destination. You might also stumble across Teddy's Nook, a historic two-story stone cottage originally built in 1862 by town founder Henry Pease MP. It has a reputation for hosting famous visitors and eccentric residents, including reports of previous tenants keeping a pet lion which they exercised on the beach. The Durham Coast Mini Tour For those wishing to explore further afield we are delighted to offer a rather extensive mini tour around the picturesque Durham coast and returning via Durham and the ECML. On leaving Saltburn we retrace our steps to Middlesborough before diverting north at Bowesfield Junction and heading towards Hartlepool. From here we enjoy frequent views across the North Sea as we head through the primarily rural landscape towards Sunderland. North of Sunderland, our train shares tracks with the metro cars of the Tyne & Wear Metro. Indeed, 2026 is the last year that the original fleet of metro cars - which date back to the 1980's - are expected to be seen in service. As we approach Newcastle, most trains pass over Robert Stephenson's High Level Bridge but our train will divert left and unusually by-pass Newcastle passing instead the former Gateshead railway depot and joining the ECML for our fast run south. We pass Tyne Yard and Duham (with superb views of the cathedral to the left) before passing through Ferryhill sidings in order to reach the goods only Stillington Branch and then once again through Stockton and Middlesborough as we retrace our steps towards Saltburn. The Journey Home We expect passengers on the mini tour to enjoy a forty-five minute break in Saltburn before our train departs for the London area. We return to Northallerton where we regain the ECML for what we hope will be a spirited run along the main line. We are routed via Copenhagen Junction, Gospel Oak, Willesden and Acton Wells before once again navigating the Greenford Branch and the Chiltern Line back to Princes Risborough, bringing to a conclusion what we hope will be a memorable spring time visit to the North East of England. Our sincere thanks our train operator, Hanson and Hall Rail Services and The 125 Group for facilitating today's special train. All timings are provisional and intended only as a guide. Station Depart Arrive Princes Risborough 06.00 22.45 High Wycombe 06.15 22.30 Denham 06.35 22.10 Willesden Junction 07.05 N/A West Hampstead N/A 21.30 Potters Bar 07.45 21.05 Stevenage 08.10 20.40 St Neots 08.35 20.10 Peterborough 09.05 19.45 Newark Northgate 09.30 19.15 Today's train is formed of The 125 Group's High Speed Train and will feature a well stocked buffet car serving a range of snacks and drinks. First Class Dining is not available on this train. Please note that the mini tour is only available to passengers booked on the main tour. Class Fare Availability Standard Class £119 Good Standard Class Junior £79 Good First Class Non Dining £199 Good Supplementary Option - Durham Coast Mini Tour £30 Good

Sat 13 Jun 2026 UK Railtours (Railtour) More...
- "DIARY DATES 2026 PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE TOURS ARE NOT YET OPEN FOR BOOKINGS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ONLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WHILE WE FINALISE OUR PLANS! Saturday 13th June 2026 - Mr Whippy's Grand Debut The support act will hopefully include a pair of class 73's. Our tour visits The Garden of England for a very special reason.

Sat 04 Jul 2026 UK Railtours (Railtour) More...
- "DIARY DATES 2026 PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE TOURS ARE NOT YET OPEN FOR BOOKINGS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ONLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WHILE WE FINALISE OUR PLANS! Saturday 4th July 2026 Save the date!

Sat 11 Jul 2026 UK Railtours (Railtour) More...
- "DIARY DATES 2026 PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE TOURS ARE NOT YET OPEN FOR BOOKINGS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ONLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WHILE WE FINALISE OUR PLANS! Saturday 11th July 2026 - Another Chocolate Flake? A day out with GBRf traction!

Sat 15 Aug 2026 UK Railtours (Railtour) More...
- By Routemaster to the Lost Village of Imber Saturday 15th August 2026 Our last visit to Imber for the Imberbus event was way back in 2024, and since then we've been itching to return. With the support of our friends at GB Railfreight and Hastings Diesels Ltd, we are delighted to announce that it's finally happening! Hidden from view on Salisbury Plain, the village of Imber is no longer inhabited as the residents were evicted just before Christmas 1943 by the MoD, in order to step up army training in advance of D-Day. The villagers were promised that their village would be returned to them after the war but this was not to be and over seventy-five years on it is still uninhabited, much of it having been destroyed. It remains in use for army training purposes but the connecting road over the Plain is open to the public on a very limited number of occasions each year. Imberbus is an unusual event by any standards. Since 2009, on just one day a year, an intensive service of London Routemaster Buses has operated between Warminster and Imber, continuing to remote spots such as New Zealand Farm and the curiously-named Brazen Bottom. The annual event has raised many thousands of pounds for the British Legion and for the upkeep of Imber Church, one of the very few buildings to survive intact. The event has grown and the 2024 running hosted up to 40 buses in operation, wit thousands of visitors carried and more tens of thousands raised for charity. As we did in 2024, we will be using the Hastings DEMU 1001. This means we will have a buffet car onboard as well as providing excellent capacity to what is sure to be a popular railtour. Our special train will run from Tonbridge, pausing to pickup passengers at South Croydon and London Waterloo before heading west calling at Woking and Basingstoke en-route to Warminster via Salisbury. On the way home we take a slightly longer route, travelling via Romsey, Southampton and Winchester before our first set down at Basingstoke. An Imberbus rover ticket is included in your fare so you can travel to each of the Imberbus destinations aboard your choice of Routemasters - old and new, long and short, red and green! You can access parts of Imber itself, and the church will be open. Click HERE to visit the Imberbus website and learn more about the event and its history. All timings are provisional and intended only as a guide. Station Depart Arrive Tonbridge 08.00 21.15 South Croydon 08.55 20.25 London Waterloo 09.55 19.30 Woking 10.20 19.00 Basingstoke 10.45 18.40 There is no First Class Dining available on this train. Class Fare Availability Standard £139 Good Standard Junior £119 Good First Class Non Dining £179 Good

Sat 22 Aug 2026 UK Railtours (Railtour) More...
- "DIARY DATES 2026 PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE TOURS ARE NOT YET OPEN FOR BOOKINGS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ONLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WHILE WE FINALISE OUR PLANS! Saturday 22nd August 2026 - Lindisfarne The tides allow us the opportunity to visit Holy Island.

Sat 19 Sep 2026 UK Railtours (Railtour) More...
- "DIARY DATES 2026 PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE TOURS ARE NOT YET OPEN FOR BOOKINGS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS DATES FOR YOUR DIARY ONLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WHILE WE FINALISE OUR PLANS! Saturday 19th September 2026 Another chance to ramble around the lines of London Town.