We had a great day, thoroughly enjoyed the steam train ride with just enough time to walk around York While we went for the premier tickets, the breakfast was really great plenty of choice and hot. S... See more
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Plenty of helpful stewards on board, well organised and paperwork arrived in plenty of time. Only problem on the day was a points & signal failure, which was a Network Rail problem and beyond Railway... See more
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The Cumbrian Mountain Express 23/08/2025. Catering vg indeed, quality food and prompt friendly service. This was a forced route change from the Cumbrian coast route which is no longer available due to... See more
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Two little quibbles about the catering in first class: tasty "savoury of the day" (aka, sandwiches), but so tiny! Big scone (nice), but tiny pat of butter and small jam to go with. The staff were ve... See more
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Company details
Written by the company
The Railway Touring Company has a long established reputation for providing an interesting variety of UK day trips by steam train and tours in the UK, Europe and Worldwide.
Contact info
United Kingdom
- railwaytouring.net
3.9
Great
102 reviews
Replied to 66% of negative reviews
Typically takes over 1 month to reply
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Booked for Valentine's Day trip
Booked for Valentine's Day trip, informed with three weeks to go that because of 'routine maintenance', the return leg would not be a steam train. Asked for a refund. Was told I had agreed to terms and conditions and that despite not offering the agreed product, there would be no refund. Offered a credit or alternative date. Emails from the company were unhelpful, confrontational and dishonest.
January 21, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your comments.
We are very sorry for the change to the scheduled haulage on our Valentines White Rose trip. As we explained in our communication to you this is due to the original loco being still in for its Winter maintenance. We have worked hard to secure an alternative steam loco for the trip however it can only do the outwards leg of our trip for operational reasons beyond our control.
As we explained to you in our email conversations our terms and conditions do state that we reserve the right to make changes to the scheduled loco/s/haulage if absolutely necessary, and in this case it was. It is not something we take lightly.
As a gesture from us you were offered to transfer your booking to another trip or have a credit placed o your account here with us which would enable you to book another trip at your leisure within the next six months. We do not have to do this as the changes to the trip are covered in our terms and conditions.
If you wish to discuss this matter further please contact us at the office either via email/telephone.
An extremely well organised tour .A…
An extremely well organised tour .A quality day out.Well worth the cost.
December 17, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback.
It is great to hear you enjoyed your day with us.
We look forward to welcoming you back on board soon.
The Royal Duchy
I booked The Royal Duchy as a special experience and paid a premium price for Premier Dining, but the day fell a long way short of what was advertised and what we paid for.
The trip was supposed to be hauled by Tornado, but this did not happen and no explanation was given. The Black 5 then failed a quarter of the way into the journey, leaving us diesel hauled for the remainder. We were also seated in diesel-era coaching stock rather than the steam-era Mk1 which feature in all the pictures on the website, which removed much of the historical atmosphere that is central to a steam charter.
The situation deteriorated further on the return journey. Due to a failure of one of the charter buses to Par, we were put onto a GWR service train between Par and Plymouth for nearly an hour - time that should have been spent enjoying the charter. As a group of four who had paid for Premier Dining, we were split up and placed in crowded standard class carriages. We were told to hurry over a footbridge at Par to catch the train, which was particularly stressful as one member of our group has a heart condition. There was little time, no assistance, and no sense of care for passenger welfare.
When we eventually rejoined the charter, our dining experience was badly handled. Our starters had been left out on the table while the rest of the carriage were already being served their main course. No explanation or reassurance was offered, leaving us feeling rushed and forgotten.
Other issues added to the disappointment. Both toilets in our carriage were declared out of order shortly after Exeter on the outward journey. Despite paying double what tables of two paid, we were seated on the inland side of the train, missing the coastal views that are a major selling point of this route, while cheaper tables had the best seats. There appeared to be no attempt at fair allocation.
Customer service afterwards acknowledged the problems but only offered a £20 per person discount code towards a future trip, which feels inadequate given the scale of the issues and the cost of the experience. Their Black Friday sale was offering £40 discount per person to brand new customers.
Mechanical failures may be unavoidable, but the combination of poor communication, lack of care, and failure to deliver what was advertised made this a deeply disappointing experience. I would not recommend this company based on our experience.
July 27, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback on our Royal Duchy trip back in July 2025.
Unfortunately, Tornado was withdrawn from use on our trips by its owner, which was beyond our control, so we arranged a steam loco replacement which was Black V No. 45212. As per our terms and conditions of booking, which you agree to when you make your booking and a copy of which is sent to you with your booking confirmation, we reserve the right to make changes to the scheduled loco/motive power if necessary, and in this case it was.
Unfortunately Black V 45212 failed during our journey due to a hot axle box. This issue could not have been foreseen and did mean it was unable to continue onwards at which point a diesel loco was arranged in order for us to continue on our way. We did write to everybody who travelled following the trip to explain the events on the day and to apologise that the steam element of their trip was cut short.
We do state on our website and in our brochure that we use British Rail Heritage First Open Coaches. We have used the MK1 coaching stock in the past and we hope to return to this in the future.
One of our coaches taking passengers on to Fowey/Charlestown did break down on the day returning to Par and this meant that those passengers in the affected coach missed the departure of our train from Par. This was unfortunate and again could not have been foreseen . Our train manager did stay with the affected passengers and get them on to a service train to catch our train up at Plymouth. This was very unfortunate and we dd apologise to passengers for this in the communication previously mentioned above.
We apologise that your starters were left out on your table when you rejoined our train at Plymouth. These would have been served around half an hour into the return journey.
Occasionally, toilets may block on our trains due to the less modern flushing facility on these compared to modern day toilets. Passengers flushing objects that should not be flushed such as paper towels contributes to this. If this happens our stewards will endeavour to fix the problem but if they cannot they will mark the toilet as out of use and direct passengers to their next nearest toilet on board, of which there are many with one at the end of each carriage.
We have no control over which side of the train passengers are seated as it depends on how the carriages are attached on the day by our operator. Sometimes the tables for two are on the coastal side and sometimes the tables for four are. The passengers at tables for two pay an additional supplement of £45 per person (2025 price) to be seated there for information purposes.
The issues that occurred on the day were beyond our control. When such a thing happens, although we are not at fault, we may offer a discount code off a future trip. We do not have to do this, it is a gesture from us to you the customer.
The Black Friday discount offer was only available to customers who have travelled with us previously who are signed up to our mailing list, not to new customers.
We hope you will reconsider your decision and travel with us again as the problems we encountered on this trip are not everyday occurrences and the majority of our trips do run as scheduled.
On the 10th October 2025 for the 17th…
On the 10th October 2025 for the 17th December I booked a trip on the White Rose Experience from Cambridge to York as a Christmas surprise for my family that turned into a Christmas dissapointment , the carriage felt like it was an after thought tagged onto the end of the empty luggage compartment for the over spill of passengers that we certainly were not, the carriage was not of keeping of the period of steam it was more like the older versions of our modern trains, 70/80s style, the tables between the seats were too low down making it very akward to get into your seat, the Christmas decorations were very sparse, the mulled wine was cold and our name was spelt incorrectly on the table sticker..the door between the toilet and carriage would not stay closed making the carriage constantly cold as it was in constant use, we were told that the carriage would be cleaned when we were in York, I can only assume the cleaners were unaware of the end carriage tagged onto the empty luggage compartment as the rubbish bin in the carriage and toilet were still overflowing, the paper hand towels were all over the toilet floor as the towel holder container was broken lying open as it would not close and lock. Yes we were first carriage on the return journey but we were being pulled by a diesel and not a steam train due to unforseen circumstances? And the heating had been turned off...I will not be booking any more steam train experiences it will be modern trains only from now on and I will be unsubscribing from their website.
December 17, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your comments on our Christmas White Rose trip on 17th December.
All of our Standard Class carriages are the same type, none are 'overspill carriages, if the train is full then all of the carriages are used. One of those carriages will be next to the brake coach.
We do state in our brochure and on our website that we use MK2 British Rail Heritage First Open Coaches, which is what were on our Christmas White Rose. We have used MK1 coaching stock previously and hope to return to these in the future.
We decorate the carriages ourselves so we know that each carriage is decorated to the same standard.
If your mulled wine was cold your server would have been happy to have fetched you a fresh one if you had brought this to their attention. They walk through the whole train offering the mulled wine. We have had no other complaints of this being cold. We apologise if this was the case with yours.
There are no name labels on any of the tables in any class of travel. This is not something we do.
The loo's are in use during the entire day as I am sure you can appreciate so the door to your carriage will have to be opened and closed to allow access to the facilities and for stewards/servers to pass through. The carriages are all heated however. If you had mentioned to your steward that you were cold they could have rectified this by turning the heating up perhaps. Unfortunately we cannot keep the carriage doors closed.
We are surprised to hear your carriage was not cleaned whilst you were off the train in York. The whole train is cleaned during this time ready for passengers to rejoin the train for the return journey, If you had flagged this to your steward I am sure they would have happily got it done for you there and then and sorted the towel holder. You do not say if you brought this to anyone's attention on the day so that it could be rectified.
As per your ticket letter, sent out to you the week of departure, our train was to be steam hauled from Ely to York on the outwards journey and diesel hauled on the return due to operational reasons.
The heating is not as efficient as in modern day service trains due to the age of the vintage coaching stock. We do state on your ticket letter to bring additional layers of clothing in the colder months.
Train either on time or early
Train either on time or early, stewards helpful and courteous. Small point in your on train brochure, the A16 no longer goes through Deeping St.Nicholas, but goes about 5 miles east. The old A16 is now A1175, and the pub became the village stores about 5 years ago.
December 17, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your comments.
We do try to run to time as best we can.
Your kind words will be passed on to our team of volunteer stewards.
We will take your feedback on our trip booklet under advice and update our records accordingly based on our findings. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
We hope you will travel with us again soon.
Thoroughly Enjoyable, Nostalgic Day Out
Boarded at Reading for this great day out to The Dickensian Festival at Rochester via West Brompton, pulled by the SR Light Pacific 'Eddystone'. The staff were as always friendly, helpful and fun. Think we paid a satisfactory price for the day, even found seats in a pub on the High Street that added to the enjoyment. Thank you guys, got us in the Christmas spirit!
December 6, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback on our Rochester Dickensian Christmas Express trip.
It is lovely to hear you enjoyed your day with us.
Eddystone performed well didn't she.
Your kind words will be passed on to our on-board team.
We are glad our trip got you into the Christmas mood!
We hope you will travel with us again.
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY IF YOU ARE DISABLED
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY IF YOU ARE DISABLED OR HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES.
I booked a trip from Bristol to Cornwall for my parents. My father is 90 and disabled. I confirmed with the company, via many telephone calls, that my father was on a mobility scooter and was assured everything would be ok.
From the outset my parents were made to feel like an inconvenience. Getting the scooter on and off the train and which trips they were not able to do in Cornwall.
Ultimately though, this is where this company really fails.
The company failed to request that the disabled access was opened at Par station. My 90 year old father and 80 year old mother along with other disabled passengers were stranded on an island platform. It was cold, it rained and there was no shelter, there was nowhere to get a drink or a toilet.
When this was raised with the company they said it was outside of their control.
I contacted Network Rail for more information who confirmed the request to open the disabled access was never made.
Whilst this disaster was very much within their control they point blank refuse to take responsibility. A trivial compensation payment was offered but has ne er materialised.
Even the Managing Director has confirmed that she is aware of my complaint and is happy with how her company has handled this situation.
The trips are not cheap and the minimum standard of care towards my father and the other disabled passengers was not provided
AVOID THIS COMPANY THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE.
May 25, 2025
Unprompted review
Minor niggles.
Trip ran to time both ways with no obvious problems. These trips have been made less interesting for railway enthusiasts in the last 2(?) years because of restrictions on opening windows and the restriction on not standing in the vestibules seems silly.
Collection of rubbish on tables was less often than usual and I heard no announcement that the buffet was closing at the end of the trip. A the title says: minor niggles.
December 3, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback.
We do try to run as much to our allocated timings on the day as is possible.
We are currently using MK2 carriages, as stated on our website and in our brochures, which do not have opening windows within them. We hope to return to MK1 carriages this year.
Due to health and safety regulations it is not permitted for passengers to stand within the vestibule area whilst the train is moving unless they are waiting to access the facilities. This is for their own protection as I am sure you can appreciate.
Our stewards will come round at intervals during the day to ensure carriages are kept free of rubbish however they do also have other duties to attend to. There are bins at the end of each carriage you can make use of.
An announcement is usually made by your steward and/or over the tannoy system when the buffet service will cease.
We hope to welcome you on board again in the future.
Good food and good service
Good food and good service. Obviously 35028 Clan Line was the star of the show, but, the Christmas Carol Service in Sherborne Abbey was a real treat.
December 3, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star feedback.
We are so pleased you enjoyed your day with us and the carol service in Sherborne.
Clan Line 35028 is a stunning loco and definitely the star of the show.
We hope you will travel with us again soon.
I was expecting nothing else than;
From the amazed look of my companion about the look of our locomotive (her first trip) to our last "Goodbye and Thank You" at the end of another enjoyable day.
December 3, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your lovely feedback.
We are so glad you and your companion had an enjoyable day with us.
These vintage engines really are an amazing sight aren't they. It is great that we are able to assist with keeping them on the mainline.
We hope you will join us for more adventures in 2026.
Quibbles about the catering, but a great day out.
Two little quibbles about the catering in first class: tasty "savoury of the day" (aka, sandwiches), but so tiny! Big scone (nice), but tiny pat of butter and small jam to go with. The staff were very helpful, although struggling with what they had to do.
Clan Line, as usual, was spectacular externally and internally, and gave a great performance when the circumstances permitted. The abbey could only provide "members of" the choir, so weren't very audible in the carols, but the choir pieces were fine, and somewhat unusual. Very nice to revisit Sherborne after maybe twenty years.
Shame about the mix-up with two coach E's!
December 3, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your comments.
We are glad you had a great day with us.
Your feedback on the First Class food service have been noted and will be passed on to Gravy Train Catering.
Our team of volunteer stewards/train managers and the Gravy Train Catering staff work very hard to ensure everyone has the best possible experience on board.
Clan Line was faultless wasn't she!
The carol concert is a lovely little bonus we feel at this time of year. We are glad you enjoyed this. Sherborne itself is a quaint little market town full of charm, a nice place to while away an afternoon.
We are sorry if there was a mix up on the day with your carriage. Please approach any of our team on the day with any queries, they are happy to assist with anything you may need.
We hope you will travel with us again.
A great blast from the past
My wife and I went on the steam train trip from York to Edinburgh return, to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, and absolutely loved it. We opted for the premier pullman class, which provided various breakfast options on the outward journey, including full English, which I enjoyed immensely. We stopped at Durham and Newcastle to pick up further passengers, before going on to Edinburgh, where we had three and a half hours, to take in the sites, including their Christmas market, before boarding our train back to York.
That journey included a four course silver service Christmas dinner, which was superb. The service provided throughout, by the train staff, was absolutely brilliant, and we could not have e asked for more. The steam engine itself, called Tangmere, and the comfortable well cared for carriages, made it an anniversary to remember, so thank you to all concerned for a wonderful unforgettable experience .
November 22, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star review.
It is great to hear you and your wife enjoyed your 50th Wedding Anniversary celebrations on board with us. Happy special Anniversary from us all here at RTC!
Edinburgh is a lovely place to spend some time, especially during the festive season. The steam train travel and sitting back in comfort in Premier Class makes it extra special doesn't it.
Your kind words on the food service, the Gravy Train crew and our volunteer stewards will be passed on. They all work very hard to ensure everyone has the best possible experience.
We hope you will travel with us again in the future.
Cancelled with only 3 weeks to go
We booked to go on the The Edinburgh Christmas Markets and had to book hotels either end of the day because we live far away from York.
The Railway Touring Company cancelled our train with only 3 weeks to go, meaning it was too late to cancel our hotels. All the Railway Touring Company would offer was a refund which didn't take into account any of the extra expense we incurred.
November 13, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback.
Unfortunately, due to insufficient bookings, we had to cancel our Edinburgh Christmas Market trip on 6th December. It is not a decision we took lightly but we are sure you can understand we cannot run a trip which is not viable.
In our communication to passengers affected we did offer them the chance to transfer their booking to another of the Edinburgh Christmas Market trips which ran on 22nd November and the final run on 20th December if they wished or a full refund of course or the option to transfer their booking to a different trip altogether.
,
We would always recommend making a flexible booking with any hotels so that these can be changed if necessary. However, it is always worth contacting the hotel/s and checking if they are prepared to let you move the booking to another suitable date in the first instance. Alternatively, if you cannot change the bookings, go and enjoy the weekend away.
We do state in our terms and conditions of booking, which you agree to when you make your booking and a copy of which is sent to you with your booking confirmation, that we are not liable for any consequential loss incurred by passengers in the event of a cancellation/change made to our trips. However we only cancel/change trips when we have no other option available to us.
The excursion was all we hoped for
The excursion was all we hoped for. We travelled on the premium service as a special treat. Food and food service was great with a full English breakfast on the outward journey while we got a wonderful Christmas dinner on the return trip. Special mention for the “Gravy Train” staff who cooked and served up our food, which was cooked fresh on the train.
You get what you pay for and we certainly got that and more. Thank you.
November 22, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star review.
It is great to hear your day with us was 'all you hoped for'!
Your compliments and kind words will be passed on to all at Gravy Train Catering for the food and food service you received. Their Full English is hard to beat we find!
We hope you will travel with us again in the future.
Staff excellent, food rubbish. …
All the staff on the train were very good and helpful, but the catering was pretty awful. I travelled premier class but for the extra I paid the food was very poor. The breakfast was okay but the dinner was very bad. If I'd been served it up in a pub I'd refused to pay. It was also served up not long after we pulled out of Chester, just after 4pm not during the evening as I would of thought. It was nowhere near the quality of food that I was paying an extra £100 a head extra for, i won't be doing that again.
November 22, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback.
We are sorry to hear that the on board food service did not meet with your expectations.
You do not say specifically what the issues were with the food so I cannot address this however if you wish to discuss this further you can email/call us directly at the office.
The dinner service always commences shortly after we commence our return journey, this is so the service is not rushed and everyone can enjoy their food in a leisurely manner, with it being four courses, and some passengers leaving the train at earlier points than others.
Your kind words will be passed on to our on-board team.
Brilliant day out on the Cheshireman to…
Brilliant day out on the Cheshireman to chester fab breakfast and evening meal staff brill nothing negative i did 3 videos on the food on tictok im planes trains uk yum the food was great
November 22, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star review of our Cheshireman trip.
It is great to hear you had a brilliant day on board with us and you enjoyed the food service so much you went to TikTok with it!
Your compliments and kind words will be passed on to Gravy Train Catering and our team of volunteer stewards/train managers.
We hope you will travel with us again in the future.
The respect The crew took in placing my…
The respect The crew took in placing my dads ashes in the firebox and towards the end of the trip one came and let me how shall we it was a 1st for me and them
November 19, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback.
Your kind words will be passed on to our team of volunteer stewards/train managers and the loco crew for ensuring the placing of your Dad's ashes went to plan. We always feel privileged to be asked and to be able to assist with such important events.
When travelling by train was a pleasure.
This is the second experience we have been on and just like the first it was a very enjoyable day. The train staff and onboard stewards are all very friendly, helpful and always ready to make sure you have everything you need to have a good time and nothing is too much trouble.
We enjoyed a first class 4 course lunch in first class surroundings and as this was November and getting close to Christmas the train carriages were all decorated to give it that festive feel.
All in all an excellent day well worth the money and looking forward to looking at their 2026 brochure to plan another lovely day out.
Thank you to all the onboard train staff for everything, for all your hard work on the day making it a very pleasurable experience.
November 19, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star feedback.
It is great to hear you have enjoyed your experiences with us, both times.
Your kind words and thanks will be passed on to our on-board team. They work very hard to ensure everyone has the best possible day with us.
The four course dinner is a lovely touch isn't it. Sitting back in the comfort of your vintage carriage watching the world go by. We decorate the train ourselves, we feel it adds that little bit extra to our Christmas trips.
We look forward to welcoming you back on board in 2026.
A good day out
My Wife & I enjoyed a round trip of Kent, including Sheerness on Sea on the "Armistice Day" Special. The train was well timed by Network Rail to allow some good running by the loco 34028 Eddystone. The Staff in First Class (coach D), served Tea/Coffee, Bacon Roll & Muffin in the morning, and afternoon tea in the afternoon. The Staff worked tirelessly to give a friendly, pleasant & professional service. The 2min silence for Rememberance was well respected in our coach, whist the poem "They Shall Not Grow Old" by Laurence Binyon was well read.
Whilst I fully commend the RTC for their fund raising they do, and I hope they continue to do so on future tours for the worthy charities they support, I felt perhaps on this occasion, "The Royal British Legion" should have been included in their fund raising. However, that said, all good day and a good trip. Thank you to all.
November 11, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star feedback.
We are glad yourself and your wife enjoyed your day with us on our Armistice Steam Express trip.
Eddystone performed well didn't she.
The First Class food service is lovely and light. We are pleased this was enjoyed by you.
Our team of volunteer stewards/train managers and the Gravy Train Catering staff all work very hard to ensure everyone on board has the best possible experience. Your kind words will be passed on to them.
We always mark Armistice Day in the appropriate manner. We felt the 2 minute silence and poem did this justice.
We always support the Railway Children charity for vulnerable children on the streets and at transport hubs. This was our founders' charity of choice. Your suggestion for monies raised on future Armistice Day trips has been noted and passed on.
We hope you will travel with us again.
Wonderful journey up to York and back…
Wonderful journey up to York and back to Huntingdon. Food and service superb, the staff are totally professional. Locomotive and carriages lovely.
November 15, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star feedback.
We are glad to hear you had a wonderful day on board with us to York.
Your kind words and compliments will be passed on to Gravy Train Catering and our team of volunteer stewards/train managers.
It is a lovely way to spend your time isn't it, reliving times gone by travelling behind an iconic steam engine in vintage carriages.
We hope you will travel with us again in the future.
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