Bob Green
The Cumbrian Mountain Express Saturday 15th July 2023 This is a wonderful opportunity for passengers from Merseyside and Lancashire to travel by steam train over two of England’s most scenic railway routes. Our train travels north to Carlisle via the West Coast Main Line over Shap and returns by the spectacular Settle & Carlisle Railway line. We have a magnificent steam locomotive to haul these trains, which recall the glorious days of steam train travel. It promises to provide a memorable day out. Our train will be diesel hauled from Crewe to Liverpool via Runcorn, where we stop to pick up further passengers. We leave Liverpool Lime Street, diesel hauled at around 09:10 and stop to pick up passengers at Broad Green and St. Helens Central. We join the West Coast Main Line (WCML) before stopping for more passengers at Wigan. Our final stop for passengers is Preston. From Preston we continue up the WCML and pass through Lancaster and along the edge of Morecambe Bay before we arrive at Carnforth where we change motive power to our steam locomotive for the day, taken from the Carnforth pool. Leaving Carnforth, we pass the Brief Encounter café and commence the climb of our first severe gradient up to Grayrigg. We then travel through the beautiful Lune Gorge to Tebay, gaining speed for the ascent to Shap. This well-known section of the WCML has a gradient of 1 in 75 and in the former days of steam locomotives banking engines from Tebay were often used to assist trains. After crossing the Cumbrian Fells we descend to Penrith, and then head for Carlisle. There will be time available in Carlisle to explore this ancient city with its cathedral and castle, plus an assortment of shops and cafes. We leave Carlisle and join the Settle & Carlisle Railway, one of the most well known and best loved stretches of railway line in Britain. We soon begin climbing, and then at Appleby, we stop for our steam locomotive to take on water. The climbing continues through scenic Kirkby Stephen towards the highest railway summit in England at Ais Gill, 1169 feet above sea level. We pass over high viaducts, including the famous one at Ribblehead, and through many tunnels. There are magnificent views across the Fells and to the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. We should have a fast run out of the hills, through Settle, until we stop again for our locomotive to take on water.
Approximate Timings Outward Return Crewe Runcorn Liverpool Lime Street Broad Green St Helens Central Wigan North Western Preston Carlisle
07:50 08:20 09:10 09:20 09:35 09:50 10:15 12:40
21:10 20:40 20:15 20:00 19:30 18:55 18:05 14:25
There are three classes available: Premier Dining includes a full English breakfast and four course dinner freshly prepared on board and silver served at your seat. First Class includes morning tea or coffee with a bacon/breakfast roll and a muffin and an afternoon service of tea or coffee with a savoury of the day followed by a scone with butter and jam. Standard Class includes a reserved seat usually at a table for four. Tables for two can be guaranteed in Premier Dining and First Class for a supplement of £30 per person (subject to availability). A buffet car is available and serves tea, coffee, snacks and light refreshments.
Our journey continues through Hellifield and Clitheroe to Preston where we say goodbye to our steam locomotive. Our train returns to Liverpool, diesel hauled, stopping to set down passengers at Wigan, St. Helens Central, Broad Green and Liverpool Lime Street where we arrive around 20:15. Our train continues on to Runcorn and Crewe diesel hauled.
28
Fares
Adult
Junior
Family
Premier
£285
£200
£870
First
£185
£130
£565
Standard
£115
£85
£358
