Steam trip forced off busy tracks

As many as 500 shoppers were disappointed when a steam train journey from London to York was cancelled because of a lack of space on the East Coast Main Line.

By The Newsroom

Published 23rd Jul 2011, 07:00 BST

The Cathedrals Express trip, operated by firm Steam Dreams, was due to run on Thursday but Network Rail decided it could not go ahead.

Steam Dreams chairman Marcus Robertson said: “We bring 500 people to York half a dozen times a year and they spend a lot of money in the city.

“This has probably cost the company between £10,000 and £20,000.”

Network Rail said it received the firm’s application less than four weeks before the journey was due to go ahead.

This made it a “tall order” to arrange as June and July are the busiest months of the year for planning charter excursions.