Steam train fans will have the chance to see the steam train that featured in Paddington 2 travel through seven UK counties this summer. The iconic 60163 Tornado will be making a return to the main line.
The engine will be hauling The Atlantic Coast Express steam day trip for The Railway Touring Company. Sporting new BR green livery, the LNER Peppercorn Class A1 locomotive will be back in action following a major overhaul, which has kept it off the rails for a number of years. The stunning Tornado will depart from London Waterloo on August 16 before heading into Woking and Basingstoke for a scenic day out by steam.
It will retrace the route of the classic rail journey the old ‘ACE’ trains took to the South West coast and visit the historic cathedral city of Exeter. Then it will turn back to pass through Bristol and Bath before returning to London.
Kelly Osborne, managing director of The Railway Touring Company, said: “We are delighted to be working with the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust to provide opportunities for people from Woking and Basingstoke to travel with Tornado and for many more to see the locomotive in action. It is very exciting that Tornado will be back on the national rail network.”
Tornado’s return to traffic follows its overhaul and main line test runs. Now, Tornado will once again be turning heads as it races along the railways – it is the fastest steam locomotive to run since the 1960s, reaching 100mph on a test train in 2017.
Tornado is a 21st-century steam locomotive. When it was launched in 2008 it made headlines as the first main line steam locomotive to be built in the UK since 1960.
Since then, it has continued to impress, hauling Royal Trains and appearing on the big screen in Paddington 2 as well as on numerous television programmes including Top Gear. It has clocked up more than 130,000 miles.
Adult tickets for the journey start at £130 for standard and go up to £335 for premier. Premier class includes a full English breakfast and four-course dinner prepared on board and presented with silver service.