Malcolm Tattersall
26 November, 2024
News

Slap-up Christmas lunch is served at 70mph!

Champagne-sipping passengers from Rotherham will have the chance to tuck into a slap-up seven-course Christmas lunch next month while travelling at 70mph aboard one of the world’s poshest trains.

Play Icon

The 1930s Pullman-style Northern Belle – once part of the iconic Orient Express group –  will spend around five hours meandering through the wintry countryside.

It will make two trips from Sheffield Midland station  – first on Friday, December 6 and then on Wednesday, December 18 – both hauled by a vintage diesel locomotive.

The train’s own resident musicians will entertain passengers during the journey, while an extra touch of magic is added by a conjuror who gets up to his tricks as he strolls through the carriages.

An historic steam locomotive hauling the Northern Belle train over the picturesque Settle-Carlisle line
An historic steam locomotive hauling the Northern Belle train over the picturesque Settle-Carlisle line Credit: Northern Belle

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.

Passengers study the menu aboard the Northern Belle
Passengers study the menu aboard the Northern Belle Credit: Northern Belle

“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.

Christmas crackers aboard the Northern Belle
Christmas crackers aboard the Northern Belle Credit: Northern Belle

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 Northern Belle will return to Sheffield in May for a trip to Edinburgh and then in June for a steam-hauled journey over the picturesque Settle-Carlisle line.

Fares on the Northern Belle start at £365.  For more details and to book, see www.northernbelle.co.uk

The train's resident musicians serenade passengers
The train's resident musicians serenade passengers Credit: Northern Belle