A luxurious new train is coming to Britain – here’s what to expect
Fancy chugging through the glorious countryside, along some of the globe’s most spectacularly scenic stretches, all the while propped up by plush furnishings, and intermittently plied with excellent food and drink?
Such is the experience provided by heritage rail company Belmond, which operates six of the world’s most ludicrously luxurious trains – the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the Eastern and Oriental Express, the Andean Explorer, the Hiram Bingham, Royal Scotsman and the British Pullman. These trains pamper their passengers while forging through the likes of Peru, Scotland and Malaysia – and soon, there will be a seventh member of this exclusive club.
Enter the Britannic Explorer – due to join the Belmond fleet in July 2025 – a luxury hotel cruise train which will travel through some of the most magnificent landscapes in England and Wales. Until now, the new arrival has been a closely guarded secret – but last week, I was allowed a sneak peek inside: and believe me when I say, the latest addition to the Belmond set does not disappoint.
The 11 coaches were formerly used by the Grand Hibernian train (which ran in Ireland between 2016 and 2021), but have been given a complete makeover, transformed by London design practice Albion Nord with a design ethos inspired by the natural world.
Let’s start with the Observation Car, which – with its bar, armchairs and banquettes – will be the train’s social hub. The bar’s backlit amber glass discs, which were inspired by “the timeless charm of Victorian apothecaries”, cast a golden glow by night.
Meanwhile, the design theme of the two dining cars – Malva and Samphire – is the cultivation of herbs and flowers used in British cooking, with woven rattan panels, antique mirrored ceilings and floral lights. There is also a plush wellness suite that will host daily activities, with aestheticians and massage therapists on hand to provide a detox.
Then there are the cabins – 18 of them in total, providing two types of en-suite accommodation that is all about timeless elegance. The Suites (of which there are 15) feature wallpaper designed by Luke Edward Hall (whose designs also grace the walls of Hotel Les Deux Gares in Paris), with staff transforming cabin day beds into double or twin beds while passengers enjoy their evening meal in the dining car.
The larger Grand Suites, meanwhile – of which there are three – have separate sitting rooms (with a sofa, small marble table and chair), and are named after the botanicals juniper, valerian and elder, their colours influencing the decorative schemes. Unusually for a railway carriage interior, the oak panelling has been left natural or given a matte finish, which gives a lighter, airy feel.
Fine dining has become a crucial part of any luxury rail offering in recent years and the Britannic Explorer is no exception. Here, direction of fare has been entrusted to chef Simon Rogan, who has championed the use of organic food in the three-Michelin-starred L’Enclume in Cartmel, Cumbria, which he opened in 2002. Produce will come from his Lake District farm, its quality helping to fulfil his culinary quest to enable diners “to taste every single element of each dish”. Menus will reflect local specialities, and there will be a nod to local artisan suppliers en route.
Trains will depart from London Victoria on three easily combined itineraries to provide what is billed as “a window on modern Britain”. There will be two Monday-to-Friday routes, to Cornwall and to the Lake District, and a Monday-to-Thursday wander through Wales.
The Cornwall tour travels the delightful stretches of line beside the sea in Devon and Cornwall, with off-train excursions to Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens near Penzance for a guided tour of the gardens, art gallery and a wine tasting; an after-hours tour of the Hauser and Wirth Gallery and garden in Somerset; and guided tours of St Ives and Fowey.
Guests on the Welsh tour reach Haverfordwest near the Pembrokeshire coast before returning to Llanelli, and a journey over the glorious Central Wales line through rugged mountain scenery and a succession of former Victorian watering spas.
From Shrewsbury, the tour heads west for one of the longest stretches of railway beside the sea in Britain, between Dovey Junction and Porthmadog, over the spectacularly sited wooden bridge across the estuary of the river Mawddach. Off-train entertainments include an evening party in a Cotswold pub, a guided hike, and a dive into Machynlleth’s food scene.
The Lake District tour heads north to Leeds and Carnforth – the filming location of Brief Encounter, and junction for the Cumbrian Coast line that skirts the west side of the Lake District, with frequent stretches beside the sea. Before reaching the border city of Carlisle, there is an excursion on Derwentwater and exclusive access to one of the private quarters of the Lingholm Estate where Beatrix Potter spent more than 20 summer holidays.
From Carlisle, the train takes England’s most scenic railway, the Settle-Carlisle, south across Ribblehead Viaduct to Leeds. On the return through the eastern Cotswolds, the Britannic Explorer offers an exclusive stop at the two-Michelin-starred manor house hotel and restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, in Oxfordshire.
Tours aboard the Britannic Explorer, A Belmond Train are priced from £11,000pp (based on a double cabin), including all excursions, meals, wine and alcoholic beverages onboard
