2026 BLS Tours

[ainsworth74]

I've been a staunch defender of the BLS and their Railtours for a while and I'll continue to defend the BLS (declaration of interest I suppose I am a member) but I must admit it does feel like the tour side of the outfit has lost it's way somewhere down the line.

They have run some fantastic tours over the years including some that got really cracking access to rail facilities. The ones they did my way were brilliant like the Lackenby Looper.

But in the last couple of years it really does feel like tours have gone wrong. Save the dates come in good time but often with only limited information. I know, of course, you cannot confirm months out because of the way that the railway works and how access to interesting places can be. But, it must be possible to announce the pick up/drop off points with speculative timings with a stern warning that booking travel/accomodation is at own risk.

I was interested in the Lord of the Isles tour but by the time they actually made it clear what was happening I didn't have the annual leave nor really funds to be able to book on.

If the detail had been available when the tour was first announced I'd have happily booked refundable hotel rooms and either flexible travel or held off on that until confirmed.

Instead I didn't book anything and then when it was properly detailed it was too late I had other commitments. I suspect many others (I know several for sure as I was one of several who had planned to book) felt similarly.

 

[bennett]

If you look back the Fixtures Secretary 2025 AGM presentation with 2026 plans on the bls website from 6th December, The Loch ness monster was down for the planning status for May 2026 and The lord of the isles was down for planning status for June 2026 so come December they had the basic information at hand they could of told us.

 

[Tom]

I've been a staunch defender of the BLS and their Railtours for a while and I'll continue to defend the BLS (declaration of interest I suppose I am a member) but I must admit it does feel like the tour side of the outfit has lost it's way somewhere down the line.

I've felt for quite some time that while the BLS as a whole is positive for the railway and community, they have taken over more and more of the railtour market and are now unintentionally causing quite a bit of damage to other promoters. We lost Pathfinder last year and I wouldn't be surprised if we lose another this year. There have been a few tours that have been seemingly vaguely targeted out of the core enthusiast market too, which encroaches on other's territory. It feels like they need to properly resource the operation and look at it critically with a commercial lens, in all honesty. That will likely result in a reduction of the number of tours but allow the planning timescales to be improved such that they can advertise at 3-6 months out rather than 5-6 weeks (who can easily get leave at that notice for the large multi-day tours?)

There's only so much the enthusiast market can sustain and it feels like BLS have appeared to constantly want to better themselves with bigger and better tours; okay it's for charity that's great but there's only so many people who can drop everything at the drop of a hat at short notice. I have doubts that the operation would be successful if operated commercially.

 

[Harpo]

they have taken over more and more of the railtour market and are now unintentionally causing quite a bit of damage to other promoters. We lost Pathfinder last year and…

There’s no blame to be laid at BLS’s door for railtour market issues. The loss of DBS from the charter market led indirectly to Pathfinder’s eventual demise by leaving it with only WCRC as an operator.

The same issue almost caused UKR to throw itself under the bus in its experiments with somewhat marginal alternatives.

 

[JonathanH]

I have doubts that the operation would be successful if operated commercially.

Isn't that the point? The BLS can offer tours which simply wouldn't be feasible in a fully commercial situation, which is to the benefit of its members. It seems that it will stand back from offerings which are viable for a commercial organisation to offer.

That said, it does run the risk of spending a lot of time planning tours which don't have a guaranteed market. The expectation may be that there will be enough clientele to make any idea work, but it clear that is not the case.

The logistics of any railtour seem very complex, but the Lord of the Isles trip seems to have been frightening in this respect with rolling stock from Great Yarmouth, locomotives from Kidderminster, three days of travel. In what sense did the BLS understand its membership in terms of how popular this would be, even with better notice?

There have been a few tours that have been seemingly vaguely targeted out of the core enthusiast market too, which encroaches on other's territory.

In some instances, is that just the BLS acting as a convenient booking agent and provider of stewards for a group that doesn't want that hassle?

 

[Denis103]

Unfortunately BLS are trying to run several multiday tours within a period of only a few weeks that are going to require hotel accommodation for probably a minimum of 2 nights on top of the tour price plus costs for eating and drinking. You are starting to talk in the region of £500+ per multiday tour. People only have a certain amount of liquid cash to splash out on tours these days on top of ordinary day to day living expenses plus maybe family commitments. The customer can only afford so much unless they're in the Rothschild, Getty, Musk or similar families with huge capital.

 

[xotGD]

There's a much bigger potential market for an 8 or 9 hour bash with sensible start and finish times from major cities, than a multi-day marathon starting at stupid o'clock from the back of beyond.

 

[Denis103]

There's a much bigger potential market for an 8 or 9 hour bash with sensible start and finish times from major cities, than a multi-day marathon starting at stupid o'clock from the back of beyond.

Totally agree.

 

[JonathanH]

There's a much bigger potential market for an 8 or 9 hour bash with sensible start and finish times from major cities, than a multi-day marathon starting at stupid o'clock from the back of beyond.

That is true, but the trouble is that if you want to run a day trip around Scotland with a class 50 from Kidderminster and coaches from Yarmouth, or take the Hastings Unit to Inverness, you have to ensure that someone pays for it to get there.

 

[xotGD]

That is true, but the trouble is that if you want to run a day trip around Scotland with a class 50 from Kidderminster and coaches from Yarmouth, or take the Hastings Unit to Inverness, you have to ensure that someone pays for it to get there.

So you offer one way trips from Birmingham to Newcastle on Day 1 (and reverse on Day 3), with a day trip round Scotland from Newcastle on Day 2.

 

[JonathanH]

So you offer one way trips from Birmingham to Newcastle on Day 1 (and reverse on Day 3), with a day trip round Scotland from Newcastle on Day 2.

Maybe, but seems to me that a tour organiser would be a) nervous that bookings for day 1 and day 3 won't be popular enough to cover the costs of the stock transfer, and b) want to give priority to people booking all three days.

I'm not sure that Newcastle to Oban or Newcastle to Inverness satisfy the 8 - 9 hour round trip you mention above. Also, Bo'ness seems to be a convenient stabling location for these trips.

 

[xotGD]

Maybe, but seems to me that a tour organiser would be a) nervous that bookings for day 1 and day 3 won't be popular enough to cover the costs of the stock transfer, and b) want to give priority to people booking all three days.

I'm not sure that Newcastle to Oban or Newcastle to Inverness satisfy the 8 - 9 hour round trip you mention above. Also, Bo'ness seems to be a convenient stabling location for these trips.

Wouldn't a BLS trip be better suited to faffing around some curves and loops in the Central Belt?

 

[Harpo]

seems to me that a tour organiser would be a) nervous that bookings for day 1 and day 3 won't be popular enough to cover the costs of the stock transfer

Making day 1 & 3 ‘interesting’ would be a good start.

 

[31160]

The tour for July is up on the fixtures page now, thumper to Minehead

 

[Isle of Mull]

The tour for July is up on the fixtures page now, thumper to Minehead

Oh quite similar to the Uk railtours tour to there last year

 

[Mainliner]

I've been a staunch defender of the BLS and their Railtours for a while and I'll continue to defend the BLS (declaration of interest I suppose I am a member) but I must admit it does feel like the tour side of the outfit has lost it's way somewhere down the line.

They have run some fantastic tours over the years including some that got really cracking access to rail facilities. The ones they did my way were brilliant like the Lackenby Looper.

But in the last couple of years it really does feel like tours have gone wrong. Save the dates come in good time but often with only limited information. I know, of course, you cannot confirm months out because of the way that the railway works and how access to interesting places can be. But, it must be possible to announce the pick up/drop off points with speculative timings with a stern warning that booking travel/accomodation is at own risk.

I was interested in the Lord of the Isles tour but by the time they actually made it clear what was happening I didn't have the annual leave nor really funds to be able to book on.

If the detail had been available when the tour was first announced I'd have happily booked refundable hotel rooms and either flexible travel or held off on that until confirmed.

Instead I didn't book anything and then when it was properly detailed it was too late I had other commitments. I suspect many others (I know several for sure as I was one of several who had planned to book) felt similarly.

Indeed - and for retired people like myself, the main issue isn’t holiday leave, but clashes with other booked arrangements, which precluded me from going on the Lord of the Isles trip and other trips. People really do need more notice.

 

[Isle of Mull]

The tour for July is up on the fixtures page now, thumper to Minehead

I have just realised this clashes with an RTC tour on the same day to the same place!

 

[Branch Line S]

Evening all!

Lots of exciting fixtures just launched and more to come to look forward too! We have just launched our Cotswold and Exmoor Explorer on Saturday 18th July 2026, have a Stour Valley Tour on 25th July (Oss Odyssey) and have been able to confirm that our Braunschweig and Hannover Explorer will now definately go ahead between the 13-15 June 2026. On day three, the evening tram tour of Braunschweig is also going ahead.

Visit the BLS fixtures page to book any of these, plus so much more!

 

[Isle of Mull]

Evening all!

Lots of exciting fixtures just launched and more to come to look forward too! We have just launched our Cotswold and Exmoor Explorer on Saturday 18th July 2026, have a Stour Valley Tour on 25th July (Oss Odyssey) and have been able to confirm that our Braunschweig and Hannover Explorer will now definately go ahead between the 13-15 June 2026. On day three, the evening tram tour of Braunschweig is also going ahead.

Visit the BLS fixtures page to book any of these, plus so much more!

Did anyone on your planning team consider that there is a steam train to the WSR on the same day

 

[JonathanH]

Did anyone on your planning team consider that there is a steam train to the WSR on the same day

The West Somerset Railway would appear to have enough passing loops to facilitate two tours visiting on the same day with its own two-train timetable. The RTC trip arrives in Minehead somewhat earlier, and heads back to London shortly after the BLS trip arrives, so I don't think it is too awkward.

I agree it would be interesting to hear how this trip came about. Is it a collaboration with the Cotswold Line Promotion Group to give its members an out-and-back trip with an hour in Minehead.

 

[Isle of Mull]

The West Somerset Railway would appear to have enough passing loops to facilitate two tours visiting on the same day with its own two-train timetable. The RTC trip arrives in Minehead somewhat earlier, and heads back to London shortly after the BLS trip arrives, so I don't think it is too awkward.

I just don’t think there is enough demand for 2 trains to the same place at the same day

 

[JonathanH]

I just don’t think there is enough demand for 2 trains to the same place at the same day

They aren't really serving the same market (other than both call at Reading). The diversion via the North Cotswold Line seems very intentional in that regard.

 

[Isle of Mull]

They aren't really serving the same market (other than both call at Reading). The diversion via the North Cotswold Line seems very intentional in that regard.

Wonder if it will do well, the thumper is being used a good bit during the summer

 

[JonathanH]

Wonder if it will do well, the thumper is being used a good bit during the summer

Well yes, anyone who just wants a ride on it may be better served by the trip, promoted by Hastings Diesels themselves, to Paignton in three weeks' time.

 

[31160]

New tour on the bls fixtures page, 12th September Hitchin to Edinburgh, via Cambridge and Ely then Peterborough and then joint line to Donny, then straight up 2 1/2 hrs then back all for charrity 2x50s

 

[PP57601]

Cancelling BLS tours wouldn’t have occurred during the stewardship of Gas Hill.

 

[peteb]

I've ridden the Hastings Diesels before and they do have a surprising turn of speed when needed. However I seriously doubt the times quoted for the Cotswold line element of the Cotswold and Exmoor Explorer tomorrow! Oxford to Morton in Marsh, 28 miles in 20 minutes would be good going for any train!!

web

www.railwayherald.com

Does anyone have accurate times for this, I cannot find it on RTT.

Apologies BLS has revised times:

BLS Fixtures List

 

[Wandering Pom]

How about the BLS' own website, which has "final confirmed timings" as of yesterday evening?

BLS Fixtures List

 

[jimm]

I've ridden the Hastings Diesels before and they do have a surprising turn of speed when needed. However I seriously doubt the times quoted for the Cotswold line element of the Cotswold and Exmoor Explorer tomorrow! Oxford to Morton in Marsh, 28 miles in 20 minutes would be good going for any train!!

web

www.railwayherald.com

Does anyone have accurate times for this, I cannot find it on RTT.

Apologies BLS has revised times:

BLS Fixtures List

I think they were being a bit optimistic there for vintage traction - the final 34-minute timing seems a bit more like it - but the two-car Turbo on the 05.10 from Oxford to Worcester on weekdays is booked for a 25-minute non-stop run, with a minute or two usually shaved off that.

A couple of mornings in the early 2000s, I had 25-minute start to stop journeys from Moreton-in-Marsh to Oxford, inclusive of stops at Kingham and Chalrbury, on late-running London-bound morning peak HSTs. That was before Hanborough became a regular stop on those services from 2006, so you could run at 100mph after leaving Charlbury until braking for Wolvercot junction (now Wolvercote North junction).