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The South Devon Express

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Take a steam train to Kingswear and Dartmouth and enjoy the nostagia of times gone by. Leaving on Thursday 28th September, book your ticket to travel with Tornado aboard 'The South Devon Express'. Following Brunel's Great Western Railway and taking on the iconic sea wall en route to the English Riviera, this most scenic of journeys is improved by the drifting steam and sound of Tornado's whistle!

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THURSDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER

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Join us from:

Worcester Shrub Hill

Cheltenham

Bristol Parkway

Bristol Temple Meads

Ticket Classes

Passage is available in Premier Dining, First Class and Standard Class on board our vintage MK1 carriages.

Premier Dining offers luxury with a Great British Breakfast served on the outward journey and a four course sumptuous supper on the return. All meals are cooked fresh on board by our elite team of chefs.

First Class passengers take their seats in traditional compartments with roomy upholstered seats. Tea, coffee and light snacks are served through the journey, although you may wish to bring a picnic.

Tourist Class seats are all situated at tables for 4, with large picture windows adjacent - ideal for watching the scenery slip by. An on board buffet car is available for refreshment.

EXPLORE THE RIVIERA
EXPLORE THE RIVIERA

All tickets include return passage on the ferry from Kingswear across to the charming harbour at Dartmouth.

Our Journey

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Our train starts at Worcester’s Shrub Hill station hauled by Tornado as we head for Devon. We are routed via Cheltenham, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads to collect further passengers before heading south to a brief water stop at Weston Super Mare.

The train will then speed across the Somerset Levels before passing the site of City of Truro’s 102 mph run at Wellington. On through Whiteball Tunnel, we emerge in Devon and descend to Exeter. From Exeter we traverse one of the splendours of the journey, along the Exe Estuary and Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s famous sea wall. At Newton Abbott we take the route for Torbay as we travel via Torquay to Paignton. It is here we join the Paignton and Dartmouth Railway which enables us to travel directly to the end of the line at Kingswear, passing the imposing Royal Navy College where Naval Officers attend for training.

From Kingswear there is a short ferry trip across to Dartmouth, with its quaint pubs and shops to enjoy. There will be a few hours in Dartmouth and Kingswear before it is time to rejoin the train, with Tornado leading the way. We retrace our outward route, again able to enjoy Brunel’s magnificent railway as we return to Bristol Temple Meads. It is here we say goodbye to Tornado a diesel locomotive takes our train on back to Worcester.