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Tickets are now on sale for the one-off anniversary railtour organised by Modern Railways in partnership with CrossCountry using one of the operator’s HSTs.
The trip on Tuesday 27 September will run from Leeds to the Severn Valley Railway, including the unusual chance to enjoy a return trip on the preserved line on this iconic train. The railtour celebrates twin anniversaries: the 60th anniversary of Modern Railways magazine and 40 years of HSTs on CrossCountry’s North East to South West route.
You will be able to join the railtour at Leeds, Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster, Sheffield, Derby or Birmingham New Street. Tickets are priced at £100 for standard class travel regardless of your boarding point. For full details of timings visit our website at www.modernrailways.com/railtour, although note that these may be subject to change due to train pathing requirements. There is also an exclusive competition to win two First Class tickets, which are not on general sale.
As well as the unusual trip there will be numerous attractions to enjoy as part of the day’s celebrations. These will include two naming events on arrival at Kidderminster – the naming of a CrossCountry power car to mark the HST anniversary and the rededication of GB Railfreight loco No 66745, which was named 10 years ago as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations. The Severn Valley Railway will also be providing depot tours at Kidderminster (advance booking will be required for this).
The trip will be a fundraiser supporting the valuable work of the Railway Benefit Fund, which supports current and former railway employees facing hardship through financial assistance and practical help and advice.
Modern Railways Editor Philip Sherratt said: ‘We are excited about what promises to be a fantastic day of celebration, with lots of exciting activities planned as part of our railtour. We are hugely grateful to our partners at CrossCountry and the Severn Valley Railway for their fantastic support in making this trip possible, and we are looking forward to a great fundraising effort to support the valuable work of RBF.’
CrossCountry Managing Director Tom Joyner said: ‘We are really excited about what promises to be a fantastic collaborative fundraising event for the Railway Benefit Fund and are grateful to our hosts at Severn Valley Railway for supporting this initiative so enthusiastically. Heritage lines have struggled during the pandemic – they are working railways which are major tourist attractions and therefore provide valuable support for the local economies of the regions they serve. CrossCountry is keen to support our Heritage Rail partners where we can.
‘Railways should also be fun and after a difficult couple of years for our railway and for society as a whole, we hope this event will help rekindle the love for travelling by train and bring people together to celebrate, looking forward to the opportunities that are ahead of us.’
For more details and to secure your ticket visit www.modernrailways.com/railtour
The celebration of the 60th anniversary of Modern Railways will conclude later in the year with the two-day Modern Railways EXPO show at Milton Keynes on 22-23 November. For more details see www.modernrailways.com/expo