For the first time in five years, Retro Railtours is running a rail tour hauled by an English Electric Class 37.

Two Class 37s have been requested as haulage for the “Retro Cestrian Bard” on Saturday 22nd August, which will depart from Stalybridge at 7 am to Stratford-on-Avon.

Unusually, the train will pick up at Reddish South, which is normally only served by one train a week on Parliamentary Northern Rail service, then stop to pick up at Stockport, Altrincham, Knutsford, Northwich, and Chester, with an arrival in Stratford-on-Avon at 11.30 am.

After a three-hour break at Stratford-on-Avon, the tour will return via Worcester and Hereford along a line that nowadays sees very few loco-hauled trains, and the Marches, with an arrival back at Stalybridge at 9.20 pm.

Refreshments on board will be available from a buffet serving hot and cold snacks, and a ‘Real Ale Bar’ will serve a variety of hand-pumped Real Ales, wines and hot snacks.

Both First and Class accommodation will be available, with Standard Class tickets costing £120 and First Class £240; tickets can be booked online at www.retrorailtours.co.uk.

Other rail tours running to Stratford-on-Avon this year include the regular Shakespeare Express, operated by Vintage Trains.

Last year, Vintage Trains won the Heritage Railway Association’s Manisty Award for Excellence, which is named after preservation pioneer Captain Peter Manisty, and a Silver award in the West Midlands Tourism Awards’ ‘Experience of the Year’ category for its Shakespeare Express service.