Discover the best top things to do in North East England, United Kingdom including Aln Valley Railway, CrossCountry Trains, Southern Railway, Wolsingham Station, Great Northern.
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4.5 based on 130 reviews
The Aln Valley Railway is re-opening the branch railway line which ran from Alnmouth on the Edinburgh to London main line up to Alnwick. Lionheart Station (use NE66 2HT for satnav) is open on advertised days, with parking, entry to museum, engine shed and displays of rolling stock all free. Rides are available at modest fares for short trips in a fully restored carriage behind a steam locomotive, or brake van rides hauled by diesel or on BUZZ, the Wickham trolley. The Buffet Stop cafe is open for teas, coffees, traybakes and sandwiches. Combine a visit to the railway with visits to Alnwick's other attractions for a really good day out.
A small, volunteer run attraction, who are determined to get Alnwick back on the rail network map. Short trips - some steam hauled - excellent small museum, model rail layout and workshops to visit. Excellent cafe.
2.0 based on 55 reviews
Currently, the longest (i.e., distance-wise - 722 miles / 13h23m) continuous direct rail journey in the UK is the 0820h CrossCountry service from Aberdeen to Penzance. As a railway enthusiast, this journey had been on my wishlist for some time, and I finally managed to tick it off the list before the current travel restrictions due to the lockdown took effect. I was only staying a short walk from the station, so the early departure time wasn't an issue. The service left exactly on time and kept to time throughout the day until reaching Exeter, where a broken-down freight locomotive ahead delayed us for 15mins. Despite this, we managed to make up time en-route so we actually arrived 1min early into Penzance. As it was a special journey for me, I chose to travel in the First Class section. Right from the start I was made to feel welcome; I felt I was looked after very well by the on-board staff, who had a brief chat with all the passengers as they went through the carriage checking tickets or serving refreshments, and was offered snacks / meals / drinks from the trolley at practically every stop. The food / drinks were all as advertised in the on-board menu cards, and plentiful - I didn't see anybody who was unable to have their choice. As a final touch, before the on-board catering was offloaded, the staff very kindly went through the carriage and handed out as much as they could, to save on wastage. The wi-fi was brilliant - no drop-outs and I was able to keep tabs on our progress throughout the day using multiple real-time train-tracking apps. Very impressed by the bathroom facilities - despite the long journey, they remained clean and fresh-smelling, even as far as Truro (some 13h after we set off) - so full marks to the staff for their regular checks and cleaning. Good points Ran to schedule (arrived 1min early - thumbs up !!!) Clean and tidy (including bathrooms) Attentive and cheerful on-board staff Attractive ticket price (booked 2wks prior to travel / advance fare) Scenery (Scottish coast / Forth Rail Bridge / Chesterfield church's crooked spire / Exe estuary coastline including Dawlish / Royal Albert Bridge / etc.) Bad points Seats somewhat uncomfortable after 13½hrs travelling (a minor point, and anyway I CHOSE to make this journey... lol) In short, I am so glad to have been able to finally complete this journey, and look forward to travelling on another CrossCountry service again when the travel restrictions are lifted.
4.5 based on 2 reviews
4.5 based on 2 reviews
4.0 based on 1 reviews
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