The 1930s Pullman-style Northern Belle – once part of the iconic Orient Express group – will meander through the wintry countryside after setting out from Preston station on Thursday, December 5.
And the train’s own resident musicians will entertain passengers, while an extra touch of magic is added by a conjuror who gets up to his tricks as he strolls through the carriages.
Tickets don’t come cheap at £395 but that includes champagne and wine, and there are only a few seats left on the five-hour trip which will be hauled by a vintage diesel locomotive.
A spokesman said: “You’d be Christmas crackers to miss it. We like to think the Northern Belle harks back to the golden days of rail travel – an era when nothing was too good for the pampered passengers.
“We even lay a red carpet across the station platform before they board and are handed their first glass of champagne.”
The Northern Belle is regularly voted one of the world’s Top Ten trains and one of the individually hand-decorated carriages used to form part of the Royal Train.
In fact it is even rumoured to contain the late Queen Mum’s favourite seat.
Actor Bill Nighy described the train as “the Grand Dame of luxury travel” when it featured on Channel 5’s The World’s most Scenic Railway Journeys.
The train will be back in Preston in March for a steam-hauled trip over the spectacular Settle-Carlisle line before a visit to Edinburgh in May. There will even be a special Fireworks dinner in November.
Fares on the Northern Belle start at £365. For more details and to book, see www.northernbelle.co.uk