The Coast to Coast Express

The “Coast to Coast Express” is a day trip by special train travelling from Liverpool to Scarborough and back, thus linking the Irish Sea with the North Sea. The journey includes some spectacular scenery crossing the Pennines and the option of visiting either York or Scarborough. The train will be hauled by a steam locomotive from the Carnforth pool.

At around 06:20 the “Coast to Coast Express” will leave Liverpool Lime Street, hauled by a powerful steam locomotive.

We travel via Edge Hill and Rainhill. Heading eastwards, we run via Chat Moss to Manchester Victoria, where we stop to pick up further passengers. 

From Manchester we now run via Guide Bridge and Woodley, where we will pause to take on water. Running via New Mills, we now head for Chinley and join the former Midland Railway’s ‘Hope Valley’ line to Sheffield, our final pick up station. We pass through Hathersage, a charming village associated with Robin Hood and the Eyre family of Bronte fame. This route is spectacularly scenic and encompasses a number of long tunnels, including the passage through the 3½ mile-long Totley Tunnel, first opened in 1892, before arrival at Sheffield.

On leaving Sheffield we head northwards through Meadowhall, adjacent to the famous Meadowhall Shopping Centre, and onwards, avoiding Rotherham, towards Swinton. We make our way northwards through Church Fenton and follow the East Coast Main Line towards York. Passengers may leave the train at York or continue to Scarborough.

York is a fascinating city to visit at any time of the year, with a huge variety of interesting places to see. It has some of the best preserved historical buildings in Europe, the city walls, Minster, Shambles, Jorvik Centre and the superb National Railway Museum. Open-topped buses leave from York Railway Station for tours around the city.

For those passengers who choose to travel to Scarborough, we leave York and take the Scarborough line, immediately crossing the River Ouse, with views of the Minster. We should have a fast run through the Vale of York before slowing for the curves that follow the River Derwent past Kirkham Abbey. We pass through Malton and Seamer before arriving in Scarborough.

Scarborough is a Victorian spa town and the largest holiday resort on the Yorkshire coast. It has been named as the most enterprising town in Britain and provides all the facilities you would expect at an established seaside resort. It has two beautiful bays, the North Bay and South Bay, providing safe sandy beaches, and a busy harbour with an active fish quay.

Our train leaves Scarborough, steam hauled, at around 15:50 and stops at York to pick up those passengers who chose to visit the city. We change motive power at Milford Loop and return to Liverpool, diesel hauled, via Wakefield Kirkgate, from where passengers from Sheffield will return by service train, and then onward as our outward journey to set down passengers.

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