2025 Intercity Charters

[Iskra]

Sorry if I'm late to the party but does anyone know why the Intercity West Highlander is cancelled?

 

[12LDA28C]

Sorry if I'm late to the party but does anyone know why the Intercity West Highlander is cancelled?

I believe it was due to low bookings

 

[Iskra]

I believe it was due to low bookings

Thanks for letting me know.

While the tour was reasonably priced, overnight accommodation probably wasn’t.

 

[31160]

Thanks for letting me know.

While the tour was reasonably priced, overnight accommodation probably wasn’t.

Yep that's the reason I tend to book the accommodation before the tours now (cancellable) I've booked the rooms in Newcastle and Edinburgh already for the srps peak tours in November

 

[Neilo09]

That’s 2 tours cancelled due to low numbers, are less people booking intercity tours ?

 

[31160]

That’s 2 tours cancelled due to low numbers, are less people booking intercity tours ?

There are a LOT of tours being advertised ATM just look at may there's at least one per weekend, I was on the UKR job out of Paddington with 20s a few weeks back and there was a fair bit of room in that one, I would have thought 20s out of Paddington would be a sell out, but it was a long way from that, and as someone says above it might not be the tour per se, the cost of accommodation is another factor

 

[Harpo]

I was on the UKR job out of Paddington with 20s a few weeks back and there was a fair bit of room in that one, I would have thought 20s out of Paddington would be a sell out, but it was a long way from that

Maybe the silence of the air cons is a factor too?

 

[Iskra]

That’s 2 tours cancelled due to low numbers, are less people booking intercity tours ?

Intercity railtours have always been inconsistent sellers since the very first tour programme; Some sold out, some got cancelled due to low bookings. They face all the same challenges as the other operators currently but then the additional twin challenges of being at a point where they are still fairly new and unknown to some, but where the novelty of their fleet is wearing off for others.

 

[Rail Quest]

That’s 2 tours cancelled due to low numbers, are less people booking intercity tours ?

Intercity railtours have always been inconsistent sellers since the very first tour programme; Some sold out, some got cancelled due to low bookings. They face all the same challenges as the other operators currently but then the additional twin challenges of being at a point where they are still fairly new and unknown to some, but where the novelty of their fleet is wearing off for others.

Could the resurgence of SRPS also be hurting InterCity bookings? A lot of their tours target similar audiences and some, such as the upcoming SRPS "THE ANNIVERSARY SYPHONS" departs from Crewe where a lot of IC charters depart from.

 

[Mag_seven]

Could the resurgence of SRPS also be hurting InterCity bookings? A lot of their tours target similar audiences and some, such as the upcoming SRPS "THE ANNIVERSARY SYPHONS" departs from Crewe where a lot of IC charters depart from.

I believe its the same operator that operates both Intercity and SRPS tours - the Crewe based LSL (Locomotive Services Ltd)

 

[Rail Quest]

I believe its the same operator that operates both Intercity and SRPS tours - the Crewe based LSL (Locomotive Services Ltd)

It is yeah. It would be interesting to know if that causes any problems for LSL though with regards to bookings

 

[Iskra]

It is yeah. It would be interesting to know if that causes any problems for LSL though with regards to bookings

It probably depends how you wish to view it. It’s possible that it may be somewhat abstractive, but also it could be viewed that it’s growing their brand, gaining new markets and new customers. It seems a serious relationship, so I think it will continue and LSL must feel they are gaining enough out of it to justify it.

 

[12LDA28C]

It probably depends how you wish to view it. It’s possible that it may be somewhat abstractive, but also it could be viewed that it’s growing their brand, gaining new markets and new customers. It seems a serious relationship, so I think it will continue and LSL must feel they are gaining enough out of it to justify it.

This relationship is of course mainly down to LSL assisting with / paying for SRPS Mk1s to be fitted with CDL and getting use of their stock and/or locos in reciprocation. Not to mention overnight stabling facilities at Bo'ness instead of paying for charter stock to stay at, for example, Joppa overnight.

 

[Rail Quest]

Another tour has been cancelled for low bookings (according to Railway Herald, see attached): The Double Gloucester. Was this the one that was booked to be a Chopper/Whistler double heading?

[Image shows screenshot of Railway Herald reporting on cancellation]

 

[Jturner98]

Hoping for another intercity tour this year. With either the 86,87 or 90

 

[The_Train]

Another tour has been cancelled for low bookings (according to Railway Herald, see attached): The Double Gloucester. Was this the one that was booked to be a Chopper/Whistler double heading?

[Image shows screenshot of Railway Herald reporting on cancellation]

I think that is now at least 3 tours cancelled for low numbers in the last couple of weeks. Not a good period for enthusiast type charters

 

[Kite159]

Hoping for another intercity tour this year. With either the 86,87 or 90

Or even using 89001, assuming that can be used on the mainline

 

[The_Train]

Or even using 89001, assuming that can be used on the mainline

When we were on the 87 tour from Euston-Edinburgh-St Pancras one of the LSL guys clearly indicated that there were plans afoot for the 89, which reading between the lines, I understood to mean loaded testing on the mainline with a plan for a tour in 2025. As we have now reached May without any such testing having even been mooted, it's probably looking less and less likely

Out of interest though, as I don't know too much about the 89, can it be used with Mk3 stock?

 

[sprinterguy]

Out of interest though, as I don't know too much about the 89, can it be used with Mk3 stock?

It's a conventional AC electric loco, so yeah, no issues there, and is also TDM fitted (I presume still functional) to allow push-pull operation with a DVT. In fact the class 89 has worked with all of mark 1, 2, 3 and 4 coaches during it's short spells of active use on the main line, as well as being one of the few locos to have hauled the BREL International Train. The mark 3s it previously worked with were the HST variant, in the early days of ECML electric operation with an HST power car providing train supply to the rake.

 

[The_Train]

It's a conventional AC electric loco, so yeah, no issues there, and is also TDM fitted (I presume still functional) to allow push-pull operation with a DVT. In fact the class 89 has worked with all of mark 1, 2, 3 and 4 coaches during it's short spells of active use on the main line, as well as being one of the few locos to have hauled the BREL International Train. The mark 3s it previously worked with were the HST variant, in the early days of ECML electric operation with an HST power car providing train supply to the rake.

Thanks for the info!
I know Anglo-Scotch workings was not its thing in service, but it would be a nice tour if we could repeat the Euston-Edinburgh-Kings Cross tour with the 87 on the WCML and the 89 on the ECML

 

[31160]

Hearing about a new tour end of August using 40/45/55 and D1015!!
Dunno when it'll be released mind

 

[3973EXL]

Hearing about a new tour end of August using 40/45/55 and D1015!!
Dunno when it'll be released mind

Intercity | The Western Wanderer - Monday 25 August 2025

As the name suggests we will be venturing west this time and will include an opportunity to travel behind a Class 52 Western locomotive (D1015), courtesy of our colleagues at…

inter-city.co.uk

 

[Neilo09]

Monday isn’t great though but hopefully it does well

 

[xotGD]

A Peak and Deltic double heading. What form of madness is this?

 

[Iskra]

Monday isn’t great though but hopefully it does well

I can’t see why a Bank Holiday would be an issue for most.

It’s an interesting tour, I might book on a bit nearer the time.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 May 2025 ==

A Peak and Deltic double heading. What form of madness is this?

A good sounding form of madness!

 

[Harpo]

A Peak and Deltic double heading. What form of madness is this?

The Whooom and Walrus. (Chingfinder would have been compelled to add ‘The Whistling…..’)

 

[raveon]

Could the resurgence of SRPS also be hurting InterCity bookings? A lot of their tours target similar audiences and some, such as the upcoming SRPS "THE ANNIVERSARY SYPHONS" departs from Crewe where a lot of IC charters depart from.

Sadly this has also been canned due to low bookings.

“SRPS Railtours regret to inform that our excursions from Newcastle to Wemyss Bay on Saturday 24th May and Crewe to Glasgow Central on Saturday 28th June have been cancelled.

Unfortunately, ticket sales have not met expectations, and we have therefore decided to cancel the tours at this stage. our guests have been contacted individually and a full refund will be issued.”

 

[31160]

New memorial train should be up soon

 

[The_Train]

New memorial train should be up soon

Intercity | A Little Bit Of Mambo (mark Hare Memorial Train) - Saturday 19 July 2025

This is a memorial train for a colleague from Chiltern Railways who sadly passed away a few weeks ago……Mark Hare 02.12.70 – 23.03.25 (RIP) Mark, who was known to his…

inter-city.co.uk

 

[31160]

Still no timings for Monday??
Should we be worried