Train lovers in for a treat as Northern Belle calls at Cardiff Central Station
Railway enthusiasts are in for a treat this Saturday morning (3rd June) when a posh vintage train – voted even more luxurious than Canada's famous Rocky Mountaineer - calls at Cardiff Central Station.
Passengers are forking out almost £500 to sip champagne while tucking into a three-course brunch aboard the 1930s Pullman-style Northern Belle during a slap-up trip to Cornwall.
After spending a day in the county's historic capital Truro or visiting the fascinating Eden Project, guests will then return to more champagne before being treated to a gourmet six-course dinner on the way home.
A spokesman for the Northern Belle, which will also be paying a visit to Swansea and Newport, said:
"It will be luxury all the way – the way things used to be way back during the golden days of rail travel in the 1930s. We believe that nothing is too good for our pampered passengers.
"Obviously, the Belle always creates a lot of interest among trainspotters and other railway enthusiasts who want to take photos. But we do urge people to act responsibly and not trespass on railway property."
One of the individually-decorated vintage carriages on the Northern Belle used to form part of the Royal Train, and is reputed to include what was the late Queen Mum's favourite seat.
Actor Bill Nighy described the train as "the Grand Dame of luxury travel" during an episode of Channel 5's "The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys".
An inside view of the lavish Northern Belle
Last year, readers of the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller magazine raved over the food, voting it the ninth most luxurious train in the world – the only British train in the top 10.
The luxurious Northern Belle is expected to leave Swansea at 6.30am, before calling at Cardiff Central at 7.30am and then making its way to Newport at 7.45am.
It will however be back in South Wales again in July for a visit to the Windsor and Hampton Court Garden Show, as well as a special slap-up lunch and afternoon tea trip.
For more details, visit www.northernbelle.co.uk.
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