Tickets are now available to purchase for the CrossCountry HST railtour on Tuesday 26 September, which Modern Railways is supporting. The tour will form part of the farewell celebrations for CrossCountry’s HSTs as they are withdrawn from service this autumn after more than 40 years of operation.
This full day trip will comprise two 'tours', for which tickets are available separately – the ‘Pines Express’ from Leeds to Swanage, and the ‘Bournemouth Belle’ from Swanage to Bournemouth. The ‘Pines Express’ trip will depart from Leeds at 06.35 with a range of pick-up/drop-off points en-route, and tickets are priced at £95 for Standard Class travel. The ‘Bournemouth Belle’ comprises a return trip from Swanage to Bournemouth, departing at 13.10, with tickets priced at £30 in Standard Class for the return trip, arriving back in Swanage at 15.45. You can purchase tickets for the ‘Pines Express’ here, and you can purchase tickets for the ‘Bournemouth Belle’ here.
UPDATE 23 July: all tickets for the 'Pines Express' have been sold, but there is a waiting list on the Branch Line Society website so please sign up if you are interested in case places become available. Places are still available for the 'Bournemouth Belle'.
Proceeds from the trip will go to The Brain Tumour Charity, remembering CrossCountry colleague Jo Taylor, who passed away in 2021. Jo was a popular member of the CrossCountry family and was a familiar face to many, having worked with teams at both Leeds and Bournemouth over her 14 years with the business.
A range of activities are planned on board, including:
- a charity raffle with a range of prizes up for grabs;
- a variety of on-board refreshments, including a selection of real ales from breweries along the length of the tour's route;
- a 125 Group stand selling HST souvenirs and memorabilia.
For further details, including timings and links to purchase tickets from the Branch Line Society website, visit www.modernrailways.com/railtour.
