New Belmond train in England & Wales

[Wyrleybart]

Of course there is the possibility that the train will drop them at Moreton for a coach the this "pub". The train will then move to a suitable siding somewhere else, and the passengers will be returned to that different place after their evenings jollifications. That sort of thing happens on some of the river cruises in Europe.

Very much enjoyed our Danube cruise from Bavaria to Budapest and we had a similar coach experience. Technically there is about 5km of the Donau around Melk that I still need to "do" !!!

 

[Bringback309s]

Where will the train be parked up in Cornwall for the night where everyone will get a good nights sleep?

 

[D6130]

Where will the train be parked up in Cornwall for the night where everyone will get a good nights sleep?

Good question. Carne Point perhaps....if mark 3 stock is cleared for the branch?

 

[Gloster]

Shunt them down the first bit of the Bodmin line?

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Penzance, according to the website.

Belmond Cornwall

Probably in one of the platforms, or perhaps in Long Rock Yard just behind Sainsbury's - well worth the £5.8k. (!)

 

[co-tr-paul]

Previous overnights have used Slopers.

 

[nwales58]

Also due to be parked in Porthmadog (‘charming town’ on Belmont’s web site) overnight once a fortnight from late July. On a platform or in Network Rail’s dumping yard (local oil supplier and skip hire firm beyond the hedge).

I imagine locals will enjoy wandering down to have a look at the rich visitors if they can.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Also due to be parked in Porthmadog (‘charming town’ on Belmont’s web site)

My wife and I stayed in Portmeirion 2 years ago. We refuelled the car in Porthmadog and we also briefly explored its shops.
"Charming" isn't the word we used for what we saw there...

 

[D6130]

My wife and I stayed in Portmeirion 2 years ago. We refuelled the car in Porthmadog and we also briefly explored its shops.
"Charming" isn't the word we used for what we saw there...

What? do you mean to say that there's a branch of Anne Summers there?

 

[paul1609]

Also due to be parked in Porthmadog (‘charming town’ on Belmont’s web site) overnight once a fortnight from late July. On a platform or in Network Rail’s dumping yard (local oil supplier and skip hire firm beyond the hedge).

I imagine locals will enjoy wandering down to have a look at the rich visitors if they can.

Will luxury executive sleeper trains be subject to the Welsh Governments 75p per night camping tax?

 

[Sun Chariot]

What? do you mean to say that there's a branch of Anne Summers there?

It would certainly improve the overall ambience

 

[nwales58]

Will luxury executive sleeper trains be subject to the Welsh Governments 75p per night camping tax?

Councils can decide the level (it's all in consultation but hotels and holiday lets should be dearer than camping). Depends if the legislation is sufficiently wide to include mobile accommodation such as Belmond.

TfW restaurant coaches carry hygiene rating stickers so I hope Belmond do, otherwise a local authority inspection might get in the way of serving Bellinis (whatever that is) for breakfast.

 

[Jan Mayen]

Councils can decide the level (it's all in consultation but hotels and holiday lets should be dearer than camping). Depends if the legislation is sufficiently wide to include mobile accommodation such as Belmond.

TfW restaurant coaches carry hygiene rating stickers so I hope Belmond do, otherwise a local authority inspection might get in the way of serving Bellinis (whatever that is) for breakfast.

A Bellini is an expensive Prosecco. Presumably Belmont passengers will decamp and go to Spooners for them.
And pop in to Ann Summers on the way back

 

[Sun Chariot]

otherwise a local authority inspection might get in the way of serving Bellinis (whatever that is) for breakfast.

I'm more familiar with blinis (a type of pancake) being served at breakfast - but I wouldn't turn away a few breakfast bellinis (a cocktail, as Jan mentions).

 

[Bringback309s]

Any updates or sightings of the stock yet? Won't be long before the first tour runs...

 

[Class15]

Any updates or sightings of the stock yet? Won't be long before the first tour runs...

Still almost 4 months away, so we might have to wait a little longer.

 

[nwales58]

Still 4 months away but the charming town of Porthmadog has been replaced with 'Our overnight stabling point for the evening is near the seaside town of Barmouth'.

Clearly not parking in Barmouth station due to the welcoming all-evening smell of fish and chips and gulls looking for leftovers.

Thoughts on where 'near' is? The line is only free between 2300 and 0730.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Still 4 months away but the charming town of Porthmadog has been replaced with 'Our overnight stabling point for the evening is near the seaside town of Barmouth'.

Clearly not parking in Barmouth station due to the welcoming all-evening smell of fish and chips and gulls looking for leftovers.

Thoughts on where 'near' is? The line is only free between 2300 and 0730.

There is a long siding at Barmouth, on the town side, north from the station.
It is visible on Google but I haven't checked the sectional appendix to determine it's status or length.

 

[Gloster]

There is a long siding at Barmouth, on the town side, north from the station.
It is visible on Google but I haven't checked the sectional appendix to determine it's status or length.

Which has a number of open car parks between it and Park Road. For good measure there is a footbridge over the siding. I am sure that the locals will be decently respectful of the travellers’ wish for a quiet night’s rest.

However, as Machynlleth is open continuously, there would be nothing to prevent the train stopping somewhere picturesque on the single line. “You will wake to a beautiful sea or mountain vista.” (Rather than the local yoof baring their backsides.)

 

[Yorkshire09876]

A Bellini is an expensive Prosecco. Presumably Belmont passengers will decamp and go to Spooners for them.
And pop in to Ann Summers on the way back

Booze for breakfast? Yes, that does sound like a 'spoon's. One near where I used to live regularly had a queue outside at 8am. I went in there occasionally for an edible breakfast, but the regular early birds seemed to prefer a liquid one of the lager variety.

 

[Western Gaffer]

A Bellini is an expensive Prosecco. Presumably Belmont passengers will decamp and go to Spooners for them.
And pop in to Ann Summers on the way back

Booze for breakfast? Yes, that does sound like a 'spoon's. One near where I used to live regularly had a queue outside at 8am. I went in there occasionally for an edible breakfast, but the regular early birds seemed to prefer a liquid one of the lager variety.

Spooners isn't a 'Spoons' but is a railway establishment, being the café of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway's Harbour Station HQ, named after esteemed railway engineers!

The Spooners of Porthmadog - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Harpo]

Any locos recently fitted with ETCS or will it be EE’s finest disturbing the peace?

 

[zwk500]

Any locos recently fitted with ETCS or will it be EE’s finest disturbing the peace?

Some locos (mainly 66s I think) are being fitted with ETCS because they'll need it for the ECML conversion to Signals-away. Whether enough of those locos will be spare to go on jollies to deepest Wales I don't know.

DB Cargo UK begins ETCS modernisation for locomotives

DB Cargo UK is equipping Class 66 locomotives with ETCS and driving forward the digitalisation of the UK rail network.

www.dbcargo.com

 

[nwales58]

However, as Machynlleth is open continuously, there would be nothing to prevent the train stopping somewhere picturesque on the single line. “You will wake to a beautiful sea or mountain vista.”

There’s an obvious stunning place to park, the bridge, but you can’t get there until 2300 (after the last northbound) and you’d have to leave around 0630 to get to Tywyn because both first trains cross at Barmouth around 0745. I can’t see a solution near Barmouth worth 6000 quid.

 

[DarloRich]

Some locos (mainly 66s I think) are being fitted with ETCS because they'll need it for the ECML conversion to Signals-away. Whether enough of those locos will be spare to go on jollies to deepest Wales I don't know.

isn't that a different system to the Cambrian line?

There’s an obvious stunning place to park, the bridge, but you can’t get there until 2300 (after the last northbound) and you’d have to leave around 0630 to get to Tywyn because both first trains cross at Barmouth around 0745. I can’t see a solution near Barmouth worth 6000 quid.

Unless there is a long enough siding surely stabling is going to have to be in a station

 

[yorkie]

Some posts have been split off into a new thread:

Interoperability of ETCS onboard equipment from different OEMs

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/new-belmond-train-in-england-wales.276861/ isn't that a different system to the Cambrian line? The Cambrian line is ETCS Level 2, same as the ECML will be being fitted with. However I think as an earlier installation it is an...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Bringback309s]

The 69 that has recently been route training between Plymouth and Penzance - is that for this new service?

 

[John R]

For those speculating about take up at the prices quoted, yesterday’s Times has a feature on a Caribbean villa which costs a trifling £53k a night.

Don’t all rush at once, and no need to thank me for drawing your attention to the holiday opportunity…)

 

[Deepgreen]

On returning from Sicily recently we queued for boarding our plane next to a lady who turned out to have been appointed to be on the on-staff of this new service. She was carrying a "Belmond Pullman" bag for the flight and was keen to chat about it.

 

[Egg Centric]

For those speculating about take up at the prices quoted, yesterday’s Times has a feature on a Caribbean villa which costs a trifling £53k a night.

Don’t all rush at once, and no need to thank me for drawing your attention to the holiday opportunity…)

TBF, if you share it with 17 other people it goes from ludicrously expensive to merely stupidly expensive. It's comparable price to the most expensive Ritz Carltons or something full priced, looked at like that.

(for avoidance of doubt I would never, ever, stay at a Ritz Carlton full priced, nor could I afford to routinely. Otherwise I'd be having my staff post on here for me and send me nightly summaries)

(Interestingly for price comparison in a couple of months I have a villa in Zanzibar for under £200/night - for the whole villa not per person - that ticks the "infinity pool", "outdoor cinema", "gym" and "outdoor spa" boxes. No art gallery or private butler but I'm happy keeping the other £52.8k)

(Oh crap I screwed the pricing up, that was the deposit, it's just over £300/night. Anyway still a heckuva better deal)