A special charter train, the East Anglian, is being run by the Branch Line Society on Saturday, 25th April, from Norwich to London Liverpool Street.

The tour will be hauled by a GB Railfreight Class 66 diesel locomotive, which is hoped to be one that has never worked a passenger train before. All profits from the tour will be donated to Martin House Children’s Hospice.

Departing from Norwich at 10.55 am, the tour will travel via Diss and Stowmarket to pick up passengers at Ipswich and Colchester, continuing via the East Anglia Main Line to the recently opened Beaulieu Park station, where it is believed that this will be the first rail tour to pick up at this new station.

During the journey, the train will traverse Trowse Down & Up Passenger Loops, Marks Tey and Witham Up Passenger Loops, Chelmsford Down Passenger Loop, Shenfield Up Passenger Loop, and Ilford Up Passenger Avoiding line, and arrive at Liverpool Street at 3.08 pm.

Fares start from £66 for Standard Class (£33 under 18s), with First Class, Non-Dining at £99 (£66 under 18s), and First Class, Non-Dining, at a guaranteed table for two £119.00 (£86 under 18s).

The train will include a buffet car which will be serving a selection of hot and cold drinks

The tour will be an ideal prelude to the following day’s special train, ‘The Paxman Quarrier‘, to Tytherington in South Gloucestershire, which will be hauled by a DC Rail Class 56 to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the first Class 56 arriving in the UK.

Further information and booking details about both tours are available online at https://branchline.uk