IF you’re a train fanatic, or know someone who is, then this could be the perfect gift – or make it a great day out for yourself.
One steam railway is starting a brand new experience where enthusiasts drive their very own locomotive.
You’ll find the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway in Cumbria running from the coastal village of Ravenglass into the Lake District National Park.
Currently, the railway gives its passengers the chance to enjoy the countryside scenery from the comfort of its carriages.
But now, it’s launching a new weekend experience where people can actually step onto the footplate and drive the train.
Called the ‘Railway Engine Driver Experience’ it will offer hands-on experience of life on a steam train.
Participants will get to be up front with one of the railway’s experienced drivers and spend 40 minutes taking the vehicle from Ravenglass to Irton Road.
The journey that newby drivers will go on includes an uncoupling in the passing loop.
On the return run, the driver on the experience will go through authentic railway practice and get a genuine taste of what the job entails.
The driver gets to take control on the footplate, and any additional guests can enjoy the journey from the comfort of First Class Carriage 140.
At the end of the session the learner drivers will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement.
Afterwards, there will be a chance to relax with afternoon tea and enjoy sandwiches, pastries, cakes and a scone with jam and cream.
Coinciding with 150 years since the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway first carried passengers in 1876, the experience will launch from 14 to 22 March 2026.
Nicky Williams, General Manager at the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway said: “How many people dreamed of driving a real train when we they were young?
There’s a special kind of magic in taking the controls of a steam locomotive, and next spring we’ll be handing that magic directly to a select few.
“As we celebrate 150 years of carrying passengers through the Eskdale Valley, these new experiences put the public in the driving seat on one of Britain’s most cherished heritage railways, guided by the experts who continue to keep the line alive every day.”
Now for the technicalities, sadly this isn’t one for kids as drivers-for-a-day must be over the age of 21.
Anyone booking onto the experience can invite up to eight spectator guests to be part of the experience for an additional fee which does include afternoon tea.
Price for the driving experience start from £210pp and £99 for spectator guests.
For more information and to book, visit: www.ravenglass-railway.co.uk/gift-experiences
A brand new crime-themed train experience is coming to UK city…
A train journey across the UK can be a magical experience depending on the views – but a new train is launching that doesn’t actually go anywhere.
The Unseen Experience is set to open in London in December and unlike a normal train journey where you purchase a ticket, get on board and travel from A to B, this service stays in the same spot.
Visitors will ‘board’ in complete darkness, being blindfolded throughout their ‘journey’.
Then, each ‘passenger’ will be “transported through time aboard a mysterious train as 3D audio surrounds you from every direction”, according to the event’s creators, Fever.
The experience involves two stories on one train and is said to be “perfect for fans of mystery, crime and psychological thrillers” – so perhaps not one for people who are expecting the Orient Express.
According to Secret London, in the first world, you are a deserter on the run in 1980, during the Cold War.
Then, in the second world, you are a survivor on the same train, but this time it is around 100 years later in a post-apocalyptic world.
Your fate is decided by the fellow passengers. The journey lasts for 35 minutes in total and each passenger must be over the age of 14 years old.
For more on trains, check out the Thomas the Tank Engine train experience with outdoor shows and unlimited rides.
Plus, the incredible train journey that’ll ‘ruin every other railway trip you take’.
