On Monday, 1st May, the Branch Line Society will be running the Calan Mai rail tour from Derby, Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, and along the scenic North Wales coast to Llandudno and Holyhead.

Calan Mai is Welsh for the first day of May, and the rail tour, which will be operated by RailAdventure, will consist of Mk.3 coaching stock and be hauled by Class 50 50008 Thunderer with a pair of Class 20s on the rear of the train. Subject to operational requirements on the day, Thunderer will be at the First Class end, which will lead from Derby to Kilby Bridge.

During the journey, a wide range of hot and cold drinks, snacks, and light refreshments will be available from a charity Buffet with all profits donated to a good cause. A selection of hand-pulled real ales and ciders will also be available from the “Lubrication Station”, served by the society’s real ale experts. A charity raffle will also take place and all proceeds will be donated to the Railway Benefit Fund.

In North Wales, guests can opt for an afternoon by the sea in Llandudno, where they will be able to explore the delights of the Great Orme and its tramway, or stay on the tour for a late-afternoon break at Holyhead.

On the return journey, the tour will not go into Llandudno but will only stop at Llandudno Junction. Those passengers who chose to visit Llandudno will therefore need to catch a service train for a short ten-minute journey from Llandudno to Llandudno Junction to rejoin the train, with fares payable locally.

The provisional route and timings are as follows::#

Derby P6 (07.14 PU) – East Midlands Parkway P2 (PU 07.32) – Leicester Up & Dn Goods – Leicester P4 (PU 08.06) – Knighton Up & Dn Goods – Kilby Bridge Jn (RM) – Wigston Curve – Nuneaton P5 (PU 09.06) – Up Nuneaton Chord – Coleshill Parkway P1 (PU 09.35) – Bordesley Jn – Lifford East Jn – Birmingham New Street P9 (RM / PU 10.28) – Soho East Jn – Perry Barr Dn Goods – Bescot Stadium – Wolverhampton P2 (PU 11.07) – Cosford DGL – Wellington Through Road – Shrewsbury Dn Main – Wrexham General – Chester P3 (RM) – Rhyl Dn Main – Abergele & Pensarn – Llandudno Junction P3 – Llandudno P2 (RM / SD 15.00) – Llandudno Junction P3 (RM) – Bangor Dn Main – Holyhead P1 (RM / break 16.05 – 16.45) – Bangor Up Main – Llandudno Junction P1 (PU 17.34) – Abergele & Pensarn – Rhyl – Chester P4 – Crewe P6 – Stoke on Trent – Stafford – Rugeley Trent Valley P1 – Rugeley Town – Walsall – Soho East Jn – Up & Dn Monument Lane Loop – Birmingham New Street P8 (SD 21.21) – Coleshill Parkway (SD 21.40) – Nuneaton P7 (SD 22.00) – Leicester P2 (SD 22.24) – East Midlands Parkway P1 (SD 22.48) – Derby P3 (SD 23.04)

Fares start from £119 for Standard Class, £174 for First Class, Non-Dining, and £199 for First Class, Non-Dining, at a guaranteed table for two. There is a £59.50 discount on all fares for accompanied under 18s, and all under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. This tour does not require participants to be a member of the Branch Line Society, and there is no surcharge for non-members.

There is no charge for children under five years of age accompanying fare-paying adult passengers, but if they are travelling free of charge they may only occupy a seat that is not required by a fare-paying passenger.

Bookings CANNOT be made by email and must be booked online via the society’s website at BLS Fixtures List at https://branchline.uk/current-fixtures.php

All other queries should be made by emailing the Bookings Officer at [email protected]