Service to bring back railway’s “old magic”

After a successful trial last year, the Carlisle to Settle Railway is launching it’s Staycation Express Service on Monday July 19.

The service - a newly re-furbished InterCity 125 - will be running until September 9, and will operate between Skipton, Settle, Appleby, and Carlisle.

It is a big moment for the railway line as it will apparently be the first time ever that there has been a dedicated tourist railway service in the UK.

“We’re recreating some of the glamour of the past, but with a modern twist” said Rail Charter Services Director, Adrian Quine.

“Railways have become very functional, very one-size-fits-all, and getting you from A to B.

“The customer service skills, the quality of the catering and the style of the uniforms, the fact that the seating will be more padded, the hue of the lighting will be more subtle - that’s what I mean about going back to core railway values.

“Years ago, railways were not just about getting you from A to B, it was also about style and panache.

“What we’re trying to do is bring back a bit of that old magic and mystique.”

The train is complete with leather reclining First-Class seating, COVID secure Perspex screens, private tables, large pictorial windows, and power-points.

It will also offer a buffet-counter and ‘at seat’ dining - making it the first time a dining car has been on the line since the 1970s.

Adrian added: “We are after that market of people who want affordable luxury and an affordable day out.

“I think there are two markets. there are people who will go on a train for a one-off luxury day out, and there those who don’t want to spend £300 on an Orient Express type experience, but they do want to go on something better than an ordinary commuter train.

“I don’t see staycations as a flash in the pan.

“I think people will inevitably go abroad for their holidays, but they might use this as an extra day out.

Visit settle-carlisle.co.uk.