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Welcome to Railtrail Tours

A family firm with an ethos of honesty and integrity. Our passion for delivering quality escorted holidays by rail at great value fares along with consistently excellent customer service has stood us in good stead for over 40 years.

Big on Quality, Small Enough to Care

01538 382323
Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm

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Roses Battle by Steam plus Settle & Carlisle Line

Celebrate the steam and rail heritage of the north country with our very own 'Battle of the Roses' tour based at an iconic railway hotel. Journey on the fabulous Settle & Carlisle Line, experience steam nostalgia with fantastic Yorkshire and Lancashire steam and heritage railways every day, visit the fascinating Bury Transport Museum, and indulge in a distillery tour and tasting. You are sure to come up smelling of roses!

View Dates & Book

8 days from £1299

 

DEPARTS

Monday 12 May 2025

Monday 16 June 2025

Monday 8 September 2025

 

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

  • Experience England’s greatest railway journey – the Settle & Carlisle Line

  • Journey through the Yorkshire Dales on the Embsay & Bolton Railway

  • Indulge in a tour and tasting at the Black Sheep Brewery

  • Travel from Bury on the scenic East Lancashire Railway

  • Visit the fascinating Bury Transport Museum

  • Steam across the North Yorkshire Moors to Whitby

  • Enjoy free time in Whitby with its abbey, port, and the best fish & chips in Yorkshire!

  • Descend into history at the National Coal Mining Museum

  • Discover Middleton Railway, the world’s oldest continuously working railway

  • Ride the unique Keighley & Worth Valley Steam Railway

  • Stay at Bradford’s iconic Midland Hotel

 

Also included in your Tour Fare:

  • 7 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal

  • Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Bradford and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Midland Hotel, our base for the next seven nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings before meeting for our first evening meal together.

D

DAY 2

Today, we enjoy a fabulous trip to the Dales as we visit the lovingly restored Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway for a journey through stunning Yorkshire scenery along the former Skipton-Ilkley Line, which was built in 1888. We spend some time at Bolton Abbey before making our way to Shipley for a fascinating tour and tasting at the excellent Black Sheep Brewery.

B, D

DAY 3

After breakfast this morning, we take the scenic journey across the Pennines to Bury and, on arrival, we board our wonderfully restored steam locomotive for a day of journeys through the Irwell Valley on the East Lancashire Railway. We enjoy free time in Bury to visit the superb Bury Transport Museum packed with historic vehicles of every shape and size or the famous Bury Market before making our way back to the hotel in time for our evening meal together.

B, D

DAY 4

Today, we will transfer by coach to Pickering where we board the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for a stunningly diverse journey in heritage carriages to the coast. Steaming across heather moorland landscapes, we pass by Goathland Station which featured as Aidensfield in Heartbeat, before descending to Whitby, a picturesque fishing port framed by its famous abbey. Stroll the quirky, narrow streets in search of Whitby Jet, climb the steps to reach the abbey, or simply enjoy some of the finest fish and chips in Yorkshire before we make the return journey.

B, D

DAY 5

Today, we experience the iconic Settle & Carlisle Line. This great journey climbs up through the Yorkshire Dales from Settle crossing the Ribblehead Viaduct, an engineering marvel spanning Batty Moss, and passing Dent, the highest mainline station in England at 1,150 ft. After the summit at Ais Gill, we speed along the Eden Valley to the border city of Carlisle where we enjoy free time to explore before making the return journey.

B, D

DAY 6

After breakfast today, we head south to the National Coal Mining Museum where we descend 140m underground to discover the history of coal mining through the centuries and learn of the people and communities at the heart of the industry. Afterwards, we visit Middleton Railway, a former colliery line near Leeds and the world's oldest continuously working railway that became the pioneer standard-gauge preserved line operated purely by volunteers.

B, D

DAY 7

Today, we travel by train to visit the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, a unique 5-mile branch line railway set in the heart of Yorkshire where you can ride to your heart's content with your day rover ticket. Journey through countryside made familiar through film, The Railway Children, or perhaps take a break to alight at the Brontë heritage town of Haworth with its cobbled main street and curio shops. We return to Bradford in time for our final evening meal together.

B, D

DAY 8

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Bradford and make our way to the station for our homeward journeys.

*Important Note: Whilst the arrangements for all described steam train travel are in place, we do reserve the right to make substitutions should it be deemed necessary for whatever reason.

B

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner

HOTEL

Midland Hotel, Bradford

Nestled in the heart of Bradford, the Midland Hotel is rich with history and magnificent architecture furnished with grand high ceilings and glittering chandeliers. The comfortable bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.

 

FARES

Fare Region

First*

Standard

London: Kings Cross

£1,515

£1,425

Greater London

£1,529

£1,435

South of England

£1,575

£1,455

East Anglia

£1,589

£1,465

South West

£1,645

£1,489

Heart of England

£1,575

£1,455

Midlands

£1,499

£1,405

Yorkshire

£1,439

£1,385

North East

£1,515

£1,425

North West

N/A

£1,385

South Wales

£1,635

£1,469

North Wales

£1,559

£1,449

Scotland

£1,509

£1,425

 

*Please Note: Some local and regional train services are Standard Class seating only and First Class ticket holders will travel in standard class accommodation for these sections of their journey.

 

£20 tour discount for holders of National Railcards

Join & Leave at Hotel £1,319

Single Room Supplement £200

 

7 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal

Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)

Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described

All excursions & admissions as detailed

Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

 

Important – Please select the number of passengers before proceeding to ‘Book Now’

From Price Book Now Call Back Telephone Favourites
12 May 2025 £1,299.00 Loading
16 Jun 2025 £1,299.00 Loading
08 Sep 2025 £1,299.00 Loading
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Contact Us
Railtrail Tours Limited
21 The Smithfield Centre, Leek
Staffordshire Moorlands, ST13 5JW
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