The South Wales Industrial Explorer

Saturday 29th November 2025

Regrettably, this tour has been cancelled by the Train Operating Company for operational reasons. All those booked were notified and given a full explanation at 16.00 today, Thursday 27th November.

UK Railtours is delighted to present the return of First Class Dining on a special train which we believe has something for everyone! Today’s tour visits the industrial landscape of South Wales providing an extremely rare opportunity to visit some unusual locations.

Our First Class Dining customers will be served the Great British Breakfast on the outward journey, a delicious light lunch and a sumptuous four course dinner on the return journey home.

This charter really is the full package; it provides mile after mile of heritage diesel locomotive haulage on some classic routes for a Class 50, including tackling the famously formidable Lickey Incline on the return journey! Through the window we will enjoy a myriad of views from the stunning scenery of the Severn Estuary via beautiful Chepstow to the fascinating industrial landscape of Port Talbot. Fans of rare track will certainly not be disappointed by what this charter should achieve in the Margam and Landore areas and haulage enthusiasts are offered the chance to perhaps score a DB Cargo Class 66 freight locomotive. Finally, to complete the package, we will all enjoy an off-train break in the exciting university city of Swansea.

By popular request, our adventure starts and finishes in Derby, and initially heads south, with pick up opportunities at East Midlands Parkway and Leicester, before heading west with further stops at Nuneaton and Coleshill Parkway to then arrive at Birmingham New Street. From here our train calls at Worcestershire Parkway, Gloucester and finally Cardiff. And so, to our expected route:

So with the magnificent Hanson & Hall owned 50008 ‘Thunderer’ at the helm, we thunder south-westwards to our final pick-up point in the Welsh capital city of Cardiff before pushing on to the proud industrial centre of South Wales. Now it will be time for those with interest in rare track to reach for their atlas as we enter Margam Knuckle Yard where Road No.9 or No.10 has been requested. As well as striving to score rare track, we will also attach the DB Cargo Class 66 to the train here.

We briefly retrace our steps east in order to gain access to the Ogmore Vale Extension Line and then progress west once again, through Port Talbot, and onto the Swansea District Line. Goods Line Authority will then be required to enable us to access the Llanelli Up Goods Loop for our reversal, thus concluding our passage west.

But the fun is far from over! We now head back east to traverse the Swansea Avoiding Line. Reversing at Landore Junction we allow ‘Thunderer’ the honour of delivering us into the vibrant coastal city of Swansea for our break of around 90 minutes, recreating scenes of some four decades ago when Class 50s had booked passenger work here.

With everyone back onboard and fully refreshed, and with grateful thanks to our friends Chrysalis Rail, it is time for some extremely rare track as we become perhaps the first passenger charter train to access the Landore Depot complex.

Rare track complete, sadly now it’s time for home as we begin our journey east at sunset. Once again we pause at Knuckle Yard as we say farewell to our Class 66 in favour of a Class 67 locomotive that now takes charge of the train. A four course dinner will be served in the dining cars during our journey home which has the added interest of being routed via the Severn Tunnel and Bristol Parkway before reversing at Gloucester, from where 50008 once again takes charge for the journey back to Derby.

Surely the fun must be over by now? Or perhaps you have remembered that those staying onboard back to the Midlands have that little matter of the Lickey Incline with over 2 miles at a gradient of 1 in 37 still to come, which will test the capabilities of 50008.

We are very grateful to Hanson & Hall Rail, DB Cargo, Chrysalis Rail and Network Rail for their kind assistance in facilitating this tour.

IMPORTANT UPDATE AS AT 19th NOVEMBER

Firstly, and most importantly for our customers intending to join at Cardiff, we have been asked by Network Rail to amend the pick up/ set down station from Cardiff to Newport due to a major sporting event taking place. Those familiar with these things will know that a strict queuing system operates on the station which can make it much more difficult change platforms at short notice – were that to be needed. We therefore trust you will appreciate that this small change is very much in the best interest of our passengers.

As previously announced, and with thanks to Tata Steel, our train is expected to be the first passenger train in many decades to visit the Llanwern Service lines. To enhance the experience we will do this in day light and therefore we will pass through in the down direction.

We have been advised that DB Cargo (DBC) can no longer provide locomotives for this particular tour. We remain indebted to the team at DBC who will continue to provide logistical support for the tour. Our support locomotive will now be a class 37 that has very kindly been provided by Rail Operations Group at very short notice. The Class 37 will operate between Llanelli and Gloucester via Swansea.

In view of the differential timings of a class 37 compared with a class 67, the train will now not be able to visit Margam Knuckle Yard. This remains a target for a future rail tour when more time permits and we are sorry for any disappointment that this re-routing may cause. However, our friends at Chrysalis Rail have confirmed we will be able to pass through the Service Shed at Landore depot using Road 6. And very exceptionally we now expect our train to be piloted by their resident shunter, 08795.

In summary, our trip to South Wales continues to offer both very rare traction and highly sought after track both on the mainline and within the depot confines at Landore. We are grateful to all our delivery partners for their continued assistance with this ambitious tour.

First Class Dining will be provided by The Railway Diners (formerly Creative Rail Dining) and includes the Great British Breakfast, a light lunch and a four course dinner. Our comfortable MK3 carriages provided by Eastern Rail Services feature a well stocked buffet car serving a range of hot and cold food and drinks.

Please note that First Class Dining is not available from or back to Worcestershire Parkway, Gloucester or Cardiff Central.

Class	Fare	Availability
Standard Adult	£159	Fully Booked
Standard Junior	£139	Fully Booked
First Class Non Dining	£229	Fully Booked
First Class Dining	£329	Limited
First Class Dining Party of Four	£1296	Very Limited

Confirmed Timings

Station	Depart	Arrive
Derby	06.30	22.55
East Midlands Parkway	06.50	22.40
Leicester	07.05	22.20
Nuneaton	07.30	22.00
Coleshill Parkway	07.45	21.40
Birmingham New Street	08.05	21.10
Worcestershire Parkway	08.40	20.30
Gloucester	09.10	19.55
Newport	10.00	18.55