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The Dorset Coast Express
Thursday 18th August and 1st September 2022
We are offering a number of attractive summer day trips from London to Weymouth by steam train. These trains provide plenty of opportunity to visit the beautiful Dorset coast and relive the ‘golden age’ of steam. Passengers have the option of spending time at the celebrated seaside resorts of either Bournemouth or Weymouth, where both have fine sandy beaches. Each train will be hauled by a steam locomotive that was built for express passenger train work.
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Our train leaves London Victoria station at around 08:45 steam hauled by Jubilee class steam locomotive No.45596 Bahamas, and travels westwards, crossing the river Thames at Barnes Bridge, through Kew and Feltham. We stop at Staines and Woking to pick up further passengers. At Winchfield, we pause for our steam locomotive to take on water before continuing to our final pick up point at Basingstoke. We leave the South Western Main Line at Worting Junction and take the Bournemouth Line, heading south through Winchester and Southampton. We stop at Bournemouth to set down those passengers wishing to visit this coastal resort, a spa town famous for its parks and pine trees. After leaving Bournemouth, there are spectacular views of Poole Harbour. We continue to Wareham and Dorchester travelling through classic Dorset countryside and delightful scenery. We arrive at Weymouth around 13:45 and have almost three hours there to discover much of what this seaside town has to offer. The railway station is close to the beach and shops. We return from Weymouth hauled by U Class steam locomotive No.31806 at around 16:40 as far as Southampton* with our main steam locomotive banking on the rear, from here the main steam locomotive will take over for the remainder of the return journey. We continue through Andover to Basingstoke, where we stop to set down passengers and for our steam locomotive to take on water. We then continue to Woking and Staines, where we stop to set down passengers, and on to our final destination at London Victoria. *In the event of a high fire risk the section from Weymouth to Southampton on the return leg would be diesel hauled. Approximate Timings Outward Return London Victoria 08:45 22:00 Staines 09:35 21:15 Woking 10:05 20:40 Basingstoke 10:55 19:50 Bournemouth 12:50 17:45 Weymouth 13:45 16:40
There are three classes available:
Premier Dining includes a full English breakfast and four course dinner 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.
