2026 UKR railtours

[31160]

The first tour for new year is up on UKR's site
7th March Watford Jun to Rawtenstall (elr) class 50s plus something DB as assist and 56006 on the elr, via some bits and bobs

 

[Kite159]

And it's jumped up to £159 for standard class. I reckon at the current rate of Railtour inflation it will be hitting £200+ for standard class by the end of 2026.

 

[Masbroughlad]

Notice they are using different caterers too. Gravy Train Catering were their provider weren't they? Saying The Railway Diners now. All change for UKR - Eastern Rail Services seem to have taken over from Riviera (now WCR) too.

 

[31160]

And it's jumped up to £159 for standard class. I reckon at the current rate of Railtour inflation it will be hitting £200+ for standard class by the end of 2026.

Yes it's a fact of life that tour prices are only going one way, I won't say how much I paid for my first tour it will date me badly

 

[bleeder4]

Notice they are using different caterers too. Gravy Train Catering were their provider weren't they? Saying The Railway Diners now. All change for UKR - Eastern Rail Services seem to have taken over from Riviera (now WCR) too.

Pathfinder used to use The Railway Diners, and I wasn't impressed with their catering offer. Gravy Train Catering were always much better. Pathfinder did eventually switch over to Gravy Train in the end.

 

[Harpo]

Looks like UKR have fully switched away from WCR. With Pathfinder going/gone, WCR’s charter operation is minus two of its biggest customers and practically all of its non-steam customers.

 

[theblackwatch]

Notice they are using different caterers too. Gravy Train Catering were their provider weren't they? Saying The Railway Diners now. All change for UKR - Eastern Rail Services seem to have taken over from Riviera (now WCR) too.

UKR have only used Gravy Train in the past year or so when enforced to do by WCRC. Previously they used Creative Rail Dining/CRD/The Railway Diners (the same outfit which seems to keep changing its name!).

£159 is the same price as what is being charged for the UKR tour to South Wales later this month. However, Dining has gone up by £70.

 

[Iskra]

Looks like UKR have fully switched away from WCR. With Pathfinder going/gone, WCR’s charter operation is minus two of its biggest customers and practically all of its non-steam customers.

WCRC could return to advertising its own diesel railtours like it used to if it wanted to.

However, the reality is probably that WCRC aren’t overly bothered by losing diesel railtour business as their compliant coaching stock is probably already stretched and better focused on doing steam tours, which presumably sell more reliably.

 

[HOOVER29]

Fancied the East Lancs Railway tour on 7th March 2026 just for the class 50 entertainment

However 1st class non dining plus table for two supplement = £618

Can’t justify spending that much on a railtour

I can have 3 long weekend breaks in the Southwest for that!

Think my days of railtours may be done & dusted

 

[renegademaster]

And it's jumped up to £159 for standard class. I reckon at the current rate of Railtour inflation it will be hitting £200+ for standard class by the end of 2026.

Normally these heritage railway tours are normal price +£30ish supplement for the heritage railway leg, this one is just one ticket so hopefully it's not a precedent. The Beamish tour was the cheapest tickets that have been seen in quite a while.

 

[Interchange]

I have just booked 1 x ticket on this tour. I work at Bradford Interchange and try support anything that comes through it. This is normally about 1 tour every 5 years ish due to being dead end I presume

 

[31160]

Fancied the East Lancs Railway tour on 7th March 2026 just for the class 50 entertainment

However 1st class non dining plus table for two supplement = £618

Can’t justify spending that much on a railtour

I can have 3 long weekend breaks in the Southwest for that!

Think my days of railtours may be done & dusted

To be fair when you put it down like that it does give you pause, it's just getting so expensive now, some tours are a straightforward yes I'm doing it, for me it's the BLS tour in December with a 69 into kings cross, but this I'm trying to see if the costs are justified

 

[Harpo]

£159 is the same price as what is being charged for the UKR tour to South Wales later this month.

RTC is offering 2026 steam trips with class 86 legs from/to London for £115 in standard, such as Whitby on 18/3/26 or the Cumbrian coast on 21/3/26. Gone are the days when kettle tours were more expensive than diesel tours.

UK Steam Rail Day Trips and Worldwide Rail Holidays

The Railway Touring Company has a long established reputation for providing an interesting variety of UK day trips by steam train and tours in the UK, Europe and Worldwide.

www.railwaytouring.net

 

[JonathanH]

RTC is offering 2026 steam trips with class 86 legs from/to London for £115 in standard, such as Whitby on 18/3/26 or the Cumbrian coast on 21/3/26. Gone are the days when kettle tours were more expensive than diesel tours.

I'd imagine that the process of fetching and returning the ERS stock from and to Great Yarmouth is making UKR's offering expensive, plus whatever is needed to manage more complex itineraries.

 

[87015]

I'd imagine that the process of fetching and returning the ERS stock from and to Great Yarmouth is making UKR's offering expensive, plus whatever is needed to manage more complex itineraries.

Yarmouth-near London is less miles and "process" than Carnforth-near London, no?

 

[JonathanH]

Yarmouth-near London is less miles and "process" than Carnforth-near London, no?

Yes, but in practice RTC's London based tours run from Southall, with almost all the movements done within a day. Yarmouth appears to involve the best part of three days of stock movements (including the tour day).

 

[87015]

Yes, but in practice RTC's London based tours run from Southall, with almost all the movements done within a day. Yarmouth appears to involve three days of stock movements.

How much is that because of the UKR/H&H damage to the LU TC set? Is that sorted yet or are just to be ignored and publically blame other parties (after the H/H and UK stewards have had their 92)?

 

[43096]

How much is that because of the UKR/H&H damage to the LU TC set? Is that sorted yet or are just to be ignored and publically blame other parties (after the H/H and UK stewards have had their 92)?

How did UKR damage the TC set?

 

[Harpo]

after the H/H and UK stewards have had their 92)?

Difficult to ‘have’ a loco that’s trailing on the rear.

 

[87015]

Difficult to ‘have’ a loco that’s trailing on the rear.

They demanded to go back to Barking on the loco rather than be escorted off Ripple Lane no?

 

[renegademaster]

How much is that because of the UKR/H&H damage to the LU TC set? Is that sorted yet or are just to be ignored and publically blame other parties (after the H/H and UK stewards have had their 92)?

4TC was never something they was going to use every tour so I don't exact get your point

 

[theblackwatch]

4TC was never something they was going to use every tour so I don't exact get your point

Absolutely. Now that there is a Kitchen car available for use with the ERS set, three of the tours currently being advertised have a Premier Dining option. A bit difficult to offer this with the 4-TC unless LUL plan on acquiring 1872 from the Nene Valley or 1873 from Bodmin, but even then, they are only RMBs.

 

[31160]

There's now a repositioning tour on the Sunday, Watford to Derby via Weedon, Coventry and Sutton Coalfield cheap mind bargain £39

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Nov 2025 ==

Loads of new dates up on the UKR site unusually one from Norfolk using 45118 , also a mazey day tour to penzance from brum using 50s, definitely replacing the annual Pathfinder tour

 

[Iskra]

Interesting to see they are using a ROMIC HST. Also good to see a few tours starting in Derby.

The one that jumps out at me is the 20’s pulling a HST to Whitby. Hopefully that has a Yorkshire pick-up stop.

 

[31160]

Interesting to see they are using a ROMIC HST. Also good to see a few tours starting in Derby.

The one that jumps out at me is the 20’s pulling a HST to Whitby. Hopefully that has a Yorkshire pick-up stop.

Apparently the ERS MK2 rake will be based at Derby next year

 

[Iskra]

Apparently the ERS MK2 rake will be based at Derby next year

That makes a lot of sense and might help keep costs sensible compared to bringing it from Great Yarmouth every time.

It seems that although there is a lot of change in the sector, there are a few green shoots coming through.

 

[JonathanH]

Apparently the ERS MK2 rake will be based at Derby next year

Will it be kept in Chaddesden Sidings or at the RTC place? How is it to be maintained? It would be interesting to know how the stabling cost compares to the cost of fetching it to and from Yarmouth.

 

[31160]

Will it be kept in Chaddesden Sidings or at the RTC place? How is it to be maintained? It would be interesting to know how the stabling cost compares to the cost of fetching it to and from Yarmouth.

As far as I know kept in chaddesden, it must save £s on ECS Anglia is far away from most other places

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Nov 2025 ==

The Peak tour is now available for booking at a very reasonable £109 standard, at that price I can firmly get on board, travelodge already sorted, cancellable mind as is unfortunately the only way now with tours

 

[Gwr12345]

The Peak tour is now available for booking at a very reasonable £109 standard, at that price I can firmly get on board, travelodge already sorted, cancellable mind as is unfortunately the only way now with tours

There seems to be a partnership with LSL as well now, even if just for this tour

 

[Isle of Mull]

The first tour for new year is up on UKR's site
7th March Watford Jun to Rawtenstall (elr) class 50s plus something DB as assist and 56006 on the elr, via some bits and bo