2026 BLS Tours

[Nacht-Zug-Fahr]

Good Morning !

Can any eagle eyed readers let me know if the Branch Line Society’s BWC4 3 day Strathclyde Railtour is traversing the City Union lines from High St Junction to Shields Jct ( over the Clyde freight only rail bridge )

Cheers
Richard

 

[31160]

I think there may something new soon going to some depots using the shunters

 

[EYFanatic]

I think there may something new soon going to some depots using the shunters

There is according to the email this morning... A little out of my price range, but it looks good

 

[Branch Line S]

Please do check out our updated fixtures list on the website...we have recently launched a number of exciting fixtures, including a number of HST tours, plus a depot exploration with Chiltern Railways, and a whole feast of other stuff to interest you! Plus last few seats remain on our Scottish weekend this coming week if you still wish to join us.

 

[InvHst]

Anyone any idea when we'll see timings out for this weekend's scottish tour as there isn't anything yet for the Saturday

 

[Isle of Mull]

New class 56 tour on April 26th

 

[Scotrail344Lad]

I have some pictures of the 2nd day of the Scottish Railtour - 37611 and 37423.

Taken from Bathgate Station - 21/03/26

Not the best!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Mar 2026 ==

They are screenshot from a video!

 

[ExRes]

60099 announced as the expected Bristol area assisting loco for 'The Paxman Quarrier' tour on 26th April

 

[ExRes]

60099 announced as the expected Bristol area assisting loco for 'The Paxman Quarrier' tour on 26th April

Yesterdays BLS 'The Paxman Quarrier' went without problem 56103 doing the majority of the days work with 57306 mainly supplying ETS, 60099 joined them at Bristol to work into Tytherington then the 56 led the 57 working back to Kings Cross

 

[LUYMun]

Yesterdays BLS 'The Paxman Quarrier' went without problem 56103 doing the majority of the days work with 57306 mainly supplying ETS, 60099 joined them at Bristol to work into Tytherington then the 56 led the 57 working back to Kings Cross

Indeed they did. There was an extra Mk2 coach provided in the event of an air con failure on one of the others but nothing broke during the course of the day so was pretty much used by a few who wanted some peace and quiet. We were also hoping for an early arrival at King's Cross after Leicester, given it was said that York ROC, who have close contact to the BLS team, would let it run ahead of time but most of what was gained was lost after we were first held just after Peterborough for a Thameslink and LNER train then at Hitchin for a late-running ex-Cambridge GN service. Then worlds collided at Kings Cross as both gricers and football fans were on the adjacent platform.

 

[DarloRich]

Looking forward to the BLS/125 group tour to north Wales this Saturday ( 2nd May)

 

[Branch Line S]

Pleased to confirm 'The Lord of the Isles' fixture is now open for bookings, operating from the 6th June to 8th June 2026.

Also recently opened was 'The Gosh Ness Monster' - Class 201 Tonbridge to Inverness on the 22nd to 24th May 2026.

 

[LRV3004]

The “Gosh Ness Monster” tour is now offering individual day fares for those just wishing to do just one or two days as opposed to the full three!

 

[JonathanH]

The “Gosh Ness Monster” tour is now offering individual day fares for those just wishing to do just one or two days as opposed to the full three!

That sounds good for people based in Scotland. More interesting is whether they can fill it on Friday and Sunday.

 

[Isle of Mull]

More interesting is whether they can fill it on Friday and Sunday.

I can see people doing it and having a leisure day etc

 

[LRV3004]

That sounds good for people based in Scotland. More interesting is whether they can fill it on Friday and Sunday.

From what I’ve heard, bookings aren’t as good as what they were hoping for, but I believe they’ve been sufficient enough for the tour to go ahead. However it also means that it looks like it’s just going to be a six-car train using 201013 rather than 201013 coupled to three-car 201001.

 

[Harpo]

From what I’ve heard, bookings aren’t as good as what they were hoping for, but I believe they’ve been sufficient enough for the tour to go ahead. However it also means that it looks like it’s just going to be a six-car train using 201013 rather than 201013 coupled to three-car 201001.

I guess there has to be a limit to how many days people want to spend travelling the length of the WCML with no deviation in the guise of a railtour?

 

[Kite159]

Considering it's also the weekend of the Edinburgh marathon where accommodation is even more expensive than usual.
And who wants to risk booking a hotel further afield using the provisional timings, only for the finalised timings being earlier or later so there are no connections?

 

[OliverH68]

It's a great tour and I would've genuinely booked onto it if it wasn't for the accommodation costs being sky-high that weekend.

If it was done earlier in May or even April/June I think it would've been more popular imo

 

[LRV3004]

I guess there has to be a limit to how many days people want to spend travelling the length of the WCML with no deviation in the guise of a railtour?

I think that was probably one of the factors behind the decision to offer individual day tickets in addition to the full three days. I’m only doing the Friday, returning on the sleeper that night.

 

[LiftFan]

Problem I find with a lot of BLS tours in particular is that they seem to be announced way too close to the dates to secure annual leave/hotels or have already made other plans. Otherwise I would have loved to have done this tour in it’s entirety.

 

[LRV3004]

BLS have unfortunately released a statement within the last hour and a half or so on their Facebook page and their own website that the “Lord of the Isles” tour has been cancelled.

 

[31160]

On the news section on the site, today they have posted about a mainline tour dated for the 18th of July, traction starting point and destination all not specified, BUT this date already has a well booked up 37 tour to Portsmouth and a intercity charter from crewe to Edinburgh using 40013 outward and 45118 return via Newcastle and Hexham that is again already well booked, now with the coupled pressure booked travel and accommodation, I think there could be tears before bedtime somewhere again, bls don't seam to able to read the room at all

 

[Isle of Mull]

On the news section on the site, today they have posted about a mainline tour dated for the 18th of July, traction starting point and destination all not specified, BUT this date already has a well booked up 37 tour to Portsmouth and a intercity charter from crewe to Edinburgh using 40013 outward and 45118 return via Newcastle and Hexham that is again already well booked, now with the coupled pressure booked travel and accommodation, I think there could be tears before bedtime somewhere again, bls don't seam to able to read the room at all

I have also heard of a 4 day tour in September, which better be released soon so people to book accommodation

 

[31160]

I have also heard of a 4 day tour in September, which better be released soon so people to book accommodation

I think that's cancelled, there was mention of it in last month's railway illustrated

 

[kje7812]

BLS have unfortunately released a statement within the last hour and a half or so on their Facebook page and their own website that the “Lord of the Isles” tour has been cancelled.

Low bookings apparently. A friend was thinking about but the late announcement mean accommodation had crept up and he decided against it. I suspect that would apply for a few.

 

[LiftFan]

Low bookings apparently. A friend was thinking about but the late announcement mean accommodation had crept up and he decided against it. I suspect that would apply for a few.

Put it this way- the Premier Inn right next to the station was over £300 for two nights. Not exactly cheap!

 

[Iskra]

Low bookings apparently. A friend was thinking about but the late announcement mean accommodation had crept up and he decided against it. I suspect that would apply for a few.

I don’t think they are bothered, people have been saying for years that they need to give better notice of tours, yet nothing changes.

I suspect the exec all get their hotels booked in before the tour is announced publicly though…

 

[31160]

I don’t think they are bothered, people have been saying for years that they need to give better notice of tours, yet nothing changes.

I suspect the exec all get their hotels booked in before the tour is announced publicly though…

Well you would think that wouldn't you but I'm reliably informed that doesn't happen either, it all looks a bit half arsed

 

[Kite159]

I don’t think they are bothered, people have been saying for years that they need to give better notice of tours, yet nothing changes.

I suspect the exec all get their hotels booked in before the tour is announced publicly though…

I suspect members of the 'inner circle' would be told more details before the public, in where the tour is being planned to operate from. At least they can book accommodation accordingly, as some areas Friday + Saturday night stays in hotels can be quite expensive, even without any sporting events. And with timings of railtours massively changing between provisional & confirmed, it's harder to take a chance on accommodation away from the main pick-up locations which require other trains/buses.