Special trains to celebrate 50 years of Yorkshire Power Station

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Special trains to celebrate 50 years of Yorkshire Power Station

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Picture of Roger Smith

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Drax Power Station. // Credit: Branch Line Society
Drax Power Station. // Credit: Branch Line Society

To celebrate 50 years since the opening of in , on Sunday, 18th August the Branch Line Society is to run three “Drax 50 Years 1974-2024” special charter trains, with each train using a different route around the power station infrastructure.

Train One – Team Red

Team Red will feature two DB Class 66s, and depart from at 9.42 to Westgate, picking up at Castleford, Glasshoughton, Pontefract Monkhill, Knottingley and Hensall before traversing Drax power station loop and stopping at Hensall to set down and arriving at Wakefield Westgate at 12.32.

GB Railfreight Class 66 at Drax. // Credit: Branch Line Society
GB Railfreight Class 66 at Drax. // Credit: Branch Line Society

Train Two – Team Blue

Team Blue will feature two GB Railfreight Class 66s, will be a circular tour from Wakefield Westgate to Wakefield Westgate, departing at 12.59, picking up at Hensall before traversing Drax power station loop and stopping at Hensall to set down and arriving at Wakefield Westgate at 16.14.

Train Three – Team Green

Team Green will feature a Freightliner Class 66 and Class 70, and depart from Wakefield Westgate at 17.08 to York, picking up at Hensall before traversing Drax power station loop and stopping at Hensall and Glasshoughton to set down and arriving at York at 20.18.

Freightliner CLass 70. // Credit: Branch Line Society
Freightliner CLass 70. // Credit: Branch Line Society

Tickets for the tours will initially be sold as day rovers that cover all three tours and cost £129 for Standard Class, £189 for First Class, non-dining, and £214 for First Class, non-dining at a guaranteed table for two, with a £64.50 reduction for accompanied under-18s.

All profits from the trains, and receipts from a raffle, will be donated to Martin House Hospice.

On-board refreshments include a hand-pulled real ale bar and a range of drinks, snacks, and light refreshments.

Drax Power Station is vital to the regional economy, employing more than 700 people and supporting over 4,200 jobs in Yorkshire and Humberside.

It houses the largest decarbonisation project in Europe, being the site of bioenergy innovation with carbon capture and storage, which is a negative emissions technology essential in fighting the climate crisis.

“The Merry Go Round”


Following the tours of Drax, “The Merry Go Round” will conclude the day’s events with a special train York to Derby hauled by two Class 20s with ‘Red stripe’ Railfreight Cass 20s requested, and the assistance of a GB Railfreight Class 69.

It will depart from York at 20.37 and travel via the Selby Curve, Doncaster, the South Yorkshire Joint Line, Shireoaks, the ‘Robin Hood Line’ through Creswell to Lenton North Junction and the Lenton Curve to arrive at Derby at 23.59.

'Red stripe' Railfreight Cass 20s. // Credit: Billy Sutton
‘Red stripe’ Railfreight Cass 20s. // Credit: Billy Sutton

Tickets for “The Merry Go Round” cost £50 for Standard Class, £75 for First Class, non-dining, and £100 for First Class, non-dining at a guaranteed table for two.

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  1. A shame that they are not selling the tours individually – some would appreciate the opportunity to pass through the Drax site to get an impression of the place but don’t necessarily feel the need to do so three times over on slightly different routes!

  2. That’s all fine but THERE IS NO CLIMATE CRISIS , NONE, ONLY SLIGHT WARMING AND A SMALL INCREASE IN CO2 FROM BARE MINIMUM LEVELS, 20% GREENER PLANET, PLANT LIFE MORE PRODUCTIVE, NO REGISTERED INCREASE IN EXTREME WEATHER, IPCC VERIFIED, POLAR BEARS MASSIVE INCREASE IN NUMBERS, SLIGHT REDUCTION IN TORNADOES. YOU PEOPLE ARE EITHER INDOCTRINATED OR OUTRIGHT LYING, YES LYING!!!!!!

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