Saphos steam day trip from the East Midlands and Potteries through Shropshire and Herefordshire on the Welsh Marches line to Cardiff.
The Welsh Marches Express follows the North and West route, the scenic line along the English-Welsh border that expresses once used to avoid Birmingham. Starting at Chesterfield with pick-ups at Belper, Derby, Tutbury, Uttoxeter, Stoke-on-Trent, Kidsgrove and Crewe, the train heads to Shrewsbury and then south through Church Stretton, Craven Arms, Ludlow, Leominster, Hereford and Abergavenny.
The Marches line offers the Long Mynd and Stretton Hills, the Wye valley at Hereford and the Sugar Loaf near Abergavenny before the run down through Pontypool to Newport and Cardiff, where around three hours are given for the castle, bay and arcades.
The train is steam hauled with locomotives from the Locomotive Services fleet at Crewe and offers Standard, First Class and Premier Dining seating.
Heading south the Long Mynd, the Sugar Loaf and the Blorenge are on the right; Caer Caradoc and the Skirrid are on the left.
Sides are given facing the direction of travel. Miles are approximate from the start of the journey.
Around thirteen hours from Chesterfield; departures from Crewe are shorter.
Saphos runs several regional named trains each season; check its tours page for the current list.
Saphos allocates engines from the Crewe fleet nearer the date and does not guarantee a specific one.
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