SRPS Railtours 2025

News from SRPS Railtours. <BJ>

''Coming Soon!
Where would you like us to go?
2025 will see SRPS Railtours, the longest established operator of day excursions by heritage train, celebrate our 55th Anniversary (1970-2025)!
Our 55th anniversary coinsides with our exciting new partnership with Royal Scot and General Trust & Locomotive Services Group.
Whilst the main programme of Railtours is being finalised the first of our SRPS Railtours Returns to the Mainline! specials is now on sale running exclusively on Monday 30th December 2024.
Visit shop.srps.org.uk to book your tickets!''

 

Blurb from today's pre-announcement. Sounds like an exciting return to the mainline for the SRPS:


2025 marks the 55th Anniversary of SRPS Railtours and we have an exciting programme to mark the special occasion!
Our 2025 programme will feature a number of wonderful destinations including Kyle of Lochalsh, Edinburgh, Wemyss Bay, Inverness, Carlisle, Aviemore, Oban and Inverness.
Traction hoped to feature during 2025 will include our own 37403 ‘Isle of Mull’ alongside Class 20, Class 37, Class 40, Class 50, AC Electric Traction and of course Steam Locomotives.*
Our January to June programme will be announced in full mid November. The first tour of our 55th Anniversary programme runs on the 30th December from Bo’ness to Crewe featuring 37403 ‘Isle of Mull’ and 47712 ‘Lady Diana Spencer’. Book your tickets now at shop.srps.org.uk
*all locomotives appear subject to availability and usual caveats

 

"2025 Railtour Announcement!

The wait is over! SRPS Railtours, working with Locomotive Services Group, is pleased to announce the first dates of a comprehensive return to the mainline in 2025. More detail will be available on www.srpsrailtours.co.uk soon including how to book onboard!

Feb 08th - 'The Capital Highlander'
37401 & 37403 Carlisle to Inverness

Mar 08th - 'The Seven Counties Rambler'
Edinburgh to Edinburgh via Carlisle and Preston featuring Class 20, Class 37 & 50050.

May 10th - 'The Oban Explorer'
Leven to Oban featuring 50050 & 37403
The first Railtour originating from the new Leven station.

May 24th - 'The Tyne Clyde Coaster'
Newcastle to Wemyss Bay featuring 50050 & 37403.
Commemorating the 160th Birthday of Wemyss Bay station and 55th Anniversary of #SRPSRailtours

June 21st to 23rd - 'The Lochalsh Chopper'
A 3 day Railtour to Kyle of Lochalsh from Crewe featuring Class 20s, AC Traction & 37403

June 28th - '37/4 40th Anniversary Special'
Crewe to Glasgow Central featuring 37401, 37403 & 37409.
Celebrating 40 years of the popular Class 37/4 locomotive working in Scotland.

Our August programme will be announced shortly which features Steam Locomotives over the Forth Rail Bridge and around the Forth Circle.

We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon!

All locomotives appear subject to availability on the day and usual caveats. Route and Railtour information will be announced in detail once confirmed and is subject to change."

Bags of variety. Only disappointment for me is a lot of it is starting south of the border.

 

The hope is that with a slightly wider range of starting points (rather than just central Scotland) it will be easier to fill the trains and begin to recoup the significant investment made into the Mk1 stock. With the exception of the trip on 28 June*, all of these tours have at pick up and set down points in Scotland.

*which is being run specifically to celebrate the 4oth anniversary of the commissioning of the 37/4s; on 28 June 1985, 37401 and 37403 moved from Crewe to Glasgow after refurbishment at Crewe works.

 

Great to see the SRPS looking ahead to a hopefully much more prosperous 2025. The 1st half of the year has some interesting tours with the highlight for many being the 3 day tour to Kyle in June. For me the highlight being a Fifer would be the first ever railtour from Leven (which even though I haven’t done anything that doesn’t at least partially involve steam for many years) is tempting. Proper railtours and proper coaching stock (mk1s) mean that these tours will hopefully be very popular. Hopefully the 2nd half of the year sees plenty of steam railtours which will more than tempt me!