Saphos Trains 2026

Railtours are now available to book for 2026.

 

Great line up of tours this year as usual. Interestingly the White Roses & The Edinburgh Summer Explorer trips haven't returned for 2026. However there's now Welsh Marches trips headed for Shrewsbury (as usual) as well as ones headed to Cardiff, with Steam from Crewe.

Also new this year is The William Shakespeare Express, Steam hauled Crewe to Stratford Upon Avon. They are only doing this trip once so I assume it's running as a small test to see if it's popular and worth running more in 2027.

 

If you live in Yorkshire then don't bother, Only Chesterfield has a pick up, not one tour picks up in the main City's

 

Dont think that really matters when you look at the distances for pick ups they have, other tour companies pick up in Yorkshire

 

A solo passenger is charged £305 including table for 2 supplement, this year it was 'only' £270... !?!

 

Yes I was surprised there was not one Lakelander from Hull or Sheffield or Leeds. I wonder though if that is not yet the complete list.

 

Seems like that although I would say South and South East for SD, as Poole originators and trips further west for some reason are run under the Saphos brand. Not really sure now a few years on they do not just ditch the SD brand.

 

Apart from 7 trips to Carlisle. 3 Lakelanders and 4 Fellsmans, nothing else up north. You would of thought trips to Edinburgh and York would be popular, but not 1 listed next year atm.

Another possibility is they're leaving a gap in the market. For some SRPS steam hauled trips in Scotland and northern England.

 

Do the Saphos plus Steam Dreams add up to a complete programme? Might there be more to come? My reaction was-- is that it?

 

It seems to be like this is it. Steam Dreams this year was very low on trips compared to previous years, 2026 looks to be slightly busier for Steam Dreams.

Saphos I think seem to be running a similar amount of trips as previous years. I think they've filled the gaps left from the White Rose and Edinburgh Explorers by doing more English Riviera Express'. Seem to be a lot of them this year.

 

Apart from tending to cover different geographical areas, is there any difference between the trips offered under the two brands?

 

Yes. On SD, if you are a solo passenger you can travel at a table for four for £245. whereas on Saphos you are on a table for two for £305. So it's dreamland for me ; let's see what the others offer.

 

It does seem to be more of the same. I was hoping they might try something different. They've reduced their Scotland operations as well. This year Statesman and Midland Pullman had several tours starting in Scotland and heading south to England, next year there are none. They have a few that go up to Scotland, but none that start up there. Even the 3 day West Highland jobs that the 2+5 set does are reduced to just 2 for next year, compared to 7 or 8 times it went up there this year.

 

But don't all their trains always operate full? The only difference I can see is how fast they fill up. I've never heard of them discounting or dishing out coupons unlike some others. They have clearly hit on a formula which works. Meanwhile I await Vintage.......