With jet fuel shortages and the introduction of the EU Entry Exit System forcing some of us to rule out international air travel, planning a staycation that highlights the best of British railway history is becoming increasingly appealing. As summer holidays beckon, most travellers are itching to embark on their next adventure. Here is our list of some of the best heritage train lines that will have you eager to jump on board.
Strathspey Railway, Highland
Following the original Perth to Inverness route, this railway boasts a 10-mile run from “Aviemore, the adventure capital of the Cairngorms, down the valley of the River Spey to Broomhill”, said Andrew Eames in The Times. Expect scenic views of “mountains looming in the background” and “midway” access to Boat of Garten which is “famous for the RSPB’s osprey conservation project”. It is common for passengers to stay on for the return trip but some disembark at Broomhill to get to Speyside Way, a “cycle and hiking route partly on disused trackbed” allowing you to “wander through whisky country”.
strathspeyrailway.co.uk
The Settle & Carlisle Line
“No other railway in England can hold a candle” to the trainline linking Leeds to Carlisle, said Anthony Lambert in The Telegraph. This is mostly due to the “grandeur of the rugged Pennine valleys” and the “many viaducts that span them”, including the “famous” Ribblehead. Watching the “majestic peaks” gliding past outside, it is easy to see why this is the “most popular” of Network Rail’s steam train routes.
settle-carlisle.co.uk
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West Somerset Railway
This 20-mile route is Britain’s “longest preserved railway”, said Anthony Lambert in The Telegraph. Starting at Bishops Lydeard, the journey includes views of the “Quantocks on one side and the Brendon Hills on the other”. Some of the stations along the route are Stogumber, where you can access the famous Bee World, and Dunster, which is known for its “National Trust-run castle and idyllic high street”.
west-somerset-railway.co.uk
Audley End Enchanted Railway, Essex
And for kids, this miniature “fully electric, steam-outline locomotive” is a must-visit, said Secret London. Combining “timeless railway romance” with “cutting-edge green technology”, the design remains “faithful” to tradition with features like a mock chimney and an “authentic” whistle that helps “preserve the magic of steam trains without the emissions”. The train winds through Audley End’s Enchanted Forest, where the “forest fairies, woodland creatures and storytellers” you meet along the way “add a dose of theatrical sparkle”.
audley-end-railway.co.uk
