10 Exciting New Train Journeys Coming To The UK In 2026
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Telegraph.
The journeys are.
South Wales Metro (The ‘Welsh Tube’)
Effectively, what the Welsh have done is turn the railways radiating from Cardiff into the sort of metro that Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Tyne-Tees have created over the last few decades.
- They are replacing a large proportion of the rolling stock, with new electric or hybrid-electric trains and tram-trains.
- Some of the lines are notably scenic.
- Some new stations have been added.
- There are attractions to visit.
- A Day Ranger ticket is available.
A few times in the past few years, when I feel I need some fresh air, I’ve taken a train to Cardiff, bought a Day Ranger and climbed a few hills in a train, as in my seventies, I’m too old to walk up.
I wouldn’t be surprised that the forthcoming Leeds Metro borrows heavily from ideas developed on the South Wales Metro.
London To Stirling
Stirling is one of those towns and cities, like Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool, Shrewsbury and a few others, that Virgin and Avanti West Coast seem reluctant to serve.
I feel by choosing Stirling for a service, Lumo have just done the obvious.
- The route is fully-electrified.
- Stops will be Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet, Greenfaulds, and Larbert.
- There will be four trains per day.
- The initial trains will be Class 222 trains.
- The electric Class 803 trains are on order.
- Hitachi are developing battery-electric trains for Lumo on the East Coast to be able to use the diversion via Lincoln, which would probably reach Perth.
- Car-hire companies will do well in Stirling.
- Stirling has onward train connections to Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Montrose, Perth and Stonehaven.
- I wouldn’t be surprised to see FirstGroup, who are Lumo’s parent or another coach company, creating a hydrogen-powered coach network for the North of Scotland.
- The service will start in May 2026.
That really shows how railways can be used to boost growth. But will the SNP get the message?
I will use this service to have a few days in Stirling and explore the Southern part of the Scottish Highlands by train.
Caledonian Sleeper from Birmingham
This looks to be obvious addition to the Caledonian Sleeper.
The Telegraph says this.
The joys of the Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland, well known to travellers from London, are to be extended for the first time to those wanting to alight at Birmingham International. This change – the biggest in the Caledonian Sleeper schedule for 30 years – will mean that greeting the dawn approaching places as far flung as Fort William, Aberdeen and Inverness will be a far more realistic prospect for fans of this form of travel who live in the Midlands.
Note.
- The Birmingham stop will be at International not New Street.
- The service starts on January 16.
- Only the Highlander will stop at Birmingham International.
It seems to be a well-thought out simple addition to the service.
Newquay And Falmouth
The Telegraph says this.
Exciting news for fans of Cornwall where a new direct service linking the north and south coasts this year will make travelling by train between the key towns of Newquay and Falmouth considerably easier. The improvement to the current journey, frequently involving multiple changes and lasting two and half hours, will start with an increase in services between Newquay and Par in the spring and, by the end of the year, the commencement of the direct link all the way through to Falmouth.
Note.
The project is named the Mid Cornwall Metro.
The project has cost £57 million.
The route will be Newquay and Falmouth Docks via Quintrell Down, St. Columb Road, Roche, Bugle, Luxulyan, Par, St. Austell, Truro, Perranwell, Penryn, Penmere and Falmouth Town.
For more information, see midcornwallmetro.com
The journey time between Newquay and Falmouth will be cut by forty-five minutes.
I am sure that there are other rail systems in the UK, Ireland and in the wider world, that could benefit from a
High Speed Sonnet (Weardale To Stratford-upon-Avon)
The Telegraph says this.
And now for something completely different: a one-off charter train from the dales of County Durham to Stratford-upon-Avon, the heart of Shakespeare country. This journey, dubbed the “High Speed Sonnet”, comes as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the introduction of the legendary InterCity 125 high speed trains, one of which will be deployed on the run from Stanhope to the birthplace of the bard.
This train journey, although it is probably very nice is not really my scene.
- I don’t have a partner.
- I don’t live near to Weardale or Stratford-on-Avon.
- As I’m coeliac and low alcohol, I’m not really keen on gourmet dining events.
But the train is an Intercity 125, so some might like to take a ride.
For more details see excursionsbyrail.co.uk
West Highland Line, Scotland
The Telegraph says this.
A journey along the West Highland line, the most scenic stretch of track in Britain, and a visit to the Royal waiting room used by Queen Victoria during visits to Balmoral are two of the highlights of a new tour for 2026, offered by small group Scotland and UK specialists McKinlay Kidd.
Similar comments to the previous journey apply, except that it is West Scotland.
But the train is steam-hauled over the Glenfinnan Viaduct of Harry Potter fame, so some might like to take a ride.
For more details see mckinlaykidd.com
Mid Wales Explorer
The Telegraph says this.
Another new tour for 2026, this one run by The Railway Touring Company, has as its focus the central part of Wales. Highlights include a journey along the Welsh Highland line on the “Harbourmaster”, shorter trips on the celebrated little railways of Llangollen, Bala Lake, Talyllyn, Vale of Rheidol and Welshpool, and a narrowboat ride across world heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct located 38 metres above the River Dee. Tidy.
I might go on this one if the date of June 10th fits.
For more details see railwaytouring.net
Newcastle And Brighton
The Telegraph says this.
How about this for a tantalising prospect – a direct service between Newcastle and Brighton calling at York, Sheffield, Birmingham New Street, Oxford, Reading, and Gatwick Airport – with no need to change trains in London? This is the new route proposed by open-access operator Grand Central (part of Arriva UK Trains) and currently awaiting approval from the Office of Rail and Road.
All going well, services – five trains each way daily – should start by the end of the year. A potential game changer and, following the commencement of the direct link between Seaham and London in December 2025, a further example of Grand Central’s drive to connect underserved communities.
For more details see grandcentralrail.com
London And Cleethorpes
The Telegraph says this.
Another Grand Central proposal that whets the appetite is the application to run direct services (for the first time since 1992) between London and the Lincolnshire seaside town of Cleethorpes. While not without its critics, Cleethorpes is an old-school British resort with pier, promenade and the Cleethorpes Coast Light (miniature) Railway service. If approved, four services a day would be up and running by the end of 2026; additional stops would include Doncaster, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Thorne South, Crowle and Althorpe.
For more details see grandcentralrail.com
Note.
Althorpe is not to be confused with the burial place of Princess Di.
In Lunch On The Pier In Cleethorpes, I wrote about excellent gluten-free fish and chips on the pier.
Champagne Moments On The Northern Belle
The Telegraph says this.
The late Queen Mother famously enjoyed G&Ts while seated in carriages which now form part of the the Northern Belle. This in mind, she would likely have approved of the latest innovation on one of Britain’s plushest trains: the addition of a “Krug class”, which includes one bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne per couple, to enjoy over a multi-course meal and seating in Duart (formerly a carriage on The Royal Train) or Glamis, named after the Queen Mother’s childhood home.
The train operates a number of day trips on scenic routes to landmark cities such as York, Edinburgh and Bath, and to colourful events such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
For more details see 95pp; northernbelle.co.uk
Great Western Railway’s Battery Train Sets New Distance Record
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Great Western Railway.
This is the sub-heading.
Great Western Railway’s innovative FastCharge battery trial has achieved another significant step – just days after laying claim to a battery train UK distance record without recharging.
These two paragraphs add more detail.
The train demonstrated its capability on Wednesday by travelling a UK record of 86 miles (138km) on battery power alone and without recharging.
Today the Class 230 battery train completed a 70-mile move from Long Marston to Reading Train Care Depot – using just 45 per cent of its battery capacity. GWR’s team of specialist engineers on board the train claim it could have travelled more than 120 miles on a single charge.
There is also this impressive video.
Note.
- In the video, the train is cruising at 36 mph.
- The top speed of the D78 Stock was 45 mph.
- The train looks in excellent condition.
This is a total game-changer for battery-electric trains in the UK.
The train makers, who have demonstrated battery-electric trains; Alstom/Bombardier, CAF, Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler will have to up their distances on battery power to at least 86 miles and possibly 120 miles, as who would want their new product to be outdistanced by second-hand forty-year-old upcycled London Underground trains?
I have some further thoughts.
The Trains Performance In The Real World
Dr. Simon Green, who is GWR’s Engineering Director, said this.
It’s also worth noting that in reaching the 86 miles on Wednesday, the train was operating in a real-world environment, at speeds of up to 60mph, stopping and starting over a hilly route, with elevation changes of up to 200m.
The train exceeded the 84 miles (135km) recorded by a Stadler Class 777 under test conditions in 2022 – believed to have been the greatest distance travelled by a battery train designed for the UK.
Note that the train was running at up to 60 mph.
Timings For The Mid-Cornwall Metro
This map shows the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
I have been looking at the Mid-Cornwall Metro and this service will share the Cornish Main Line with faster services between Par and Truro.
- Expresses and the Mid-Cornwall Metro will both stop at Par, St. Austell and Truro.
- Par and Truro is a distance of 19 miles.
- Expresses between Penzance and Plymouth take around 22-23 minutes to go between Par and Truro.
- This is an average speed of around 50-52 mph.
It looks to me, that there is scope for the Mid-Cornwall Metro and the express trains to run at similar speeds between Par and Truro.
- If the Mid-Cornwall Metro used Class 230 trains running on batteries, these trains should be fast enough to keep out of the way of the expresses.
- Par station has an island platform, where the Mid-Cornwall Metro uses one side (Platform 3) and expresses use the other (Platform 2).
Perhaps, if the timetable was something like this, it would give the best services to passengers.
- All expresses would use Platform 2, if they were stopping at Par station. The current track layout allows this.
- For Westbound passengers the Mid-Cornwall Metro would stop in Platform 3 and the express would stop in Platform 2, so that passengers going to beyond Truro on the Cornish Main Line could to the express on the other platform.
- Between Par and Truro, the Mid-Cornwall Metro would run a couple of minutes behind the express.
- Passengers for the Falmouth Branch could swap trains at Par on wait for the Metro at St. Austell or Truro.
- For Eastbound passengers, between Par and Truro, the Mid-Cornwall Metro would run a couple of minutes behind the express.
- At Par, the Mid-Cornwall Metro would stop in Platform 3 and the express would stop in Platform 2.
- The express would wait at Par for the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
- Passengers for Plymouth and London Paddington would change trains at Par for the express on the other platform.
- Passengers for the Newquay Branch on the express would swap trains at Par or wait for the Metro at St. Austell or Truro.
I suspect there are other patterns, but something like this will combine express services with the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
Simon’s Vision
Simon Green also says this about his vision of how the trains and the related FastCharge technology could be used.
GWR’s FastCharge technology has been designed to solve the problem of delivering reliable, battery-only trains capable of fulfilling timetable services on branch lines, eliminating the use of diesel traction and helping to meet the Government and wider rail industry’s target to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The use of batteries for extended operation has typically been constrained by their range and meant widespread implementation has, until now, not been possible. It also negates the need for overhead electric lines which are expensive, time consuming to install and impact the landscape.
He’s judging the system as a whole, which is the only way to do it.
Where Could Class 230 Trains Be Used On The Great Western Railway?
These are a few ideas.
- Slough and Windsor & Eton Central – 2.8 miles – 3 cars – FastCharge at Slough
- Maidenhead and Marlow – 7.1 miles – 2 or possibly 3 cars – FastCharge at Maidenhead
- Twyford and Henley-on-Thames – 4.6 miles – 3 cars – FastCharge at Twyford
- Reading and Basingstoke – 15.4 miles – 3 cars – FastCharge at Basingstoke
- Weston-super-Mare and Severn Beach – 32.5 miles – 3 cars – FastCharge at Severn Beach
- Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth 8.9 miles – 2 cars – FastCharge at Avonmouth
Bourne End station, where there is a reverse may restrict the length of the service to Marlow.
Decarbonising The Mid-Cornwall Metro
Although the Mid-Cornwall Metro will probably run initially using what diesel multiple units, after a year or so, the route will be converted to zero-carbon operation.
Newquay To Falmouth Docks
This map shows the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
These are current timings.
- By train can take almost three hours with changes at Par and Truro.
- By car should take 45 minutes to drive the 24.4 miles according to Google.
Note.
- The train timings are for a typical British Rail-era Diesel Multiple Unit on the branches and something smarter between Truro and Par.
- A Day Return ticket would cost £8.90 without a Railcard.
- If there was a through train, that meant you didn’t have to change trains, I estimate that the time could be as low as one hour and 35 minutes.
I feel that most travellers, who had access to a car, would use that to travel between Newquay and Truro.
Newquay To Falmouth Docks By Electric Train
I have ridden in three battery-electric trains.
- Class 379 train – Manningtree and Harwich in passenger service.
- Class 230 train – Vivarail demonstration
- Class 777 train- Liverpool Central and Headbolt Lane in passenger service.
Note.
- All were mouse-quiet.
- There was no detectable difference, when running on battery power in the trains.
It is my view that battery-electric trains are no second-class solution.
Consider.
- Newquay and Par is 20.8 miles.
- Falmouth Docks and Par is 30.8 miles.
- Newquay and Falmouth Docks is 51.6 miles.
- The maximum speed between Par and Newquay is around 30 mph
- The maximum speed between Par and Falmouth Docks is around 50-70 mph
- There are twelve intermediate stations.
- There is a reverse at Par station.
- Charging would be easy to install at Falmouth Docks, Newquay and Par.
- In Par Station – 10th February 2024, I suggested that Par station could be fully-electrified, so that expresses could have a Splash-and-Dash on their way to London and Penzance. If all platforms at Par were electrified the Mid-Cornwall Metro trains could charge from the electrification, as they reversed.
There are two main ways that the Mid-Cornwall Metro might operate.
- There would be chargers at Newquay and Falmouth Docks and trains would shuttle the 51.6 miles between the two stations.
- There would only be charging at Par and trains would after charging at Par go alternatively to Newquay and Falmouth Docks.
The first might need smaller batteries and the second would only need one charger.
Newquay To Falmouth Docks By Hydrogen-Powered Train
There is only one hydrogen-powered train in service and that is the Alstom Coradia iLint, which is running in Germany.
I feel it is very much an interim design, as Alstom has taken a diesel-mechanical Lint train and swapped the diesel for a hydrogen-powered electricity generator and an electric motor.
But Alstom are putting together a hydrogen-powered train based on an Aventra.
Note.
- The train is three cars.
- I would envisage performance of the hydrogen train would be very similar to that of a similar battery-electric train.
- I wouldn’t be surprised that refuelling of the train would not be a problem, as with all the china clay working nearby, there may well be developments to use hydrogen in the industry to decarbonise the mining.
The Mid-Cornwall Metro and Alstom’s Hydrogen Aventra could be ideal for each other.
Conclusion
I believe, that although the Mid-Cornwall Metro will start operation with diesel multiple units, it will be running in a zero-carbon mode within a few years.
Smart Train Lease Aims ‘To Make Renting Trains As Easy And Simple As Renting A Car’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette International.
These four paragraphs outline the scheme.
Siemens Mobility has established a leasing subsidiary that would enable train operators to use its Mireo Smart battery, hydrogen and electric multiple-units without needing to make long-term investment commitments.
Smart Train Lease GmbH would make available at short notice multiple-units already approved for operation. These could be short or medium-term leases, with services such as maintenance available as part of the package. The aim is to provide operators with an economical way to quickly and flexibly expand their fleets and try out more sustainable traction technologies.
‘We want to make renting trains as easy and simple as renting a car, and thus help accelerate the mobility transition’, the leasing company’s CEO Benjamin Dobernecker explained on February 14.
Smart Train Lease will initially operate in Germany, although it plans to expand throughout Europe in the medium term.
I like this idea and I think it will work.
Metier Management Systems And Artemis
When four of us started Metier Management Systems in 1977 to sell our mini-computer-based project management system; Artemis, we generally rented or leased our systems, although we did sell some as the years progressed.
- For a fixed fee per month, a company got a project management computer and all the software.
- The fixed fee included installation, first line support, training and software updates.
- We could also supply extra training and project management consultancy at appropriate rates.
- The only extra costs to the client were the electricity to power the hardware and the paper to put in the printer.
- We also allowed clients to convert leases into outright sales.
This simple sales model appealed to a lot of our clients.
- The cost of the system was easy to budget.
- Many of our clients were happy with leasing or renting computer equipment.
- As the system was desk-sized, it easily fitted the average office.
But the leasing model was very advantageous to us.
- Most of our clients were large high-value quality organisations like big oil companies, nationalised industries and engineering consultancies.
- Our Finance Director and our Bank Manager at Lloyds Bank devised a plan, whereby we bundled a number of high-quality leases together and sold the bundle to Lloyds Bank’s leasing company.
The money we received gave us a healthy cash flow.
- The cash flow was then used to fund Research and Development and to finance more sales.
- If say someone like BP or Shell should phone up or send a fax, wanting a system immediately, we were generally able to fulfil their request.
I am sure that Siemens Mobility will be using a similar model.
They will aim to have trains in stock to fulfil clients needs.
So if Deutsche Bahn phone up saying have you got a three-car battery-electric train that works with 15 KVAC and has a range of 100 kilometres for next Monday, Siemens Mobility can generally say yes.
What helps is that the modular Mireo Smart multiple unit comes in battery, hydrogen and electric versions.
Extras could include full servicing a driver.
So Siemens Mobility will plug the train together and deliver it.
How Would Siemens Use The Leasing Model In Great Britain?
Consider.
- There are a lot of routes that need to be decarbonised in Great Britain.
- Many of these routes have electrification at one or both ends.
- Often these routes terminate in a bay platform.
- On most of these routes a two-, three-, four- or five-car train will be sufficient capacity.
- In the Desiro City, Siemens have a train, that is acceptable to Great Britain.
- If routes in Great Britain are to be electrified, they must be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead wires.
- Trains would be 100 mph, so they wouldn’t be limited as to routes.
- A Mireo-B has a range of between 80-100 kilometres or 49.7-74.6 miles.
I am sure Siemens Desiro City or its European equivalent; Mireo can be developed into a family of trains suitable for GB!
- The basic train would be two driving cars.
- Length would be increased by coupling trailer cars between the two driving cars.
- Hydrogen power would be in one of the trailers.
- Batteries would be under an appropriate number of cars.
Battery trains would be able to use a simple automatic charger, similar to the one, that I described in GWR Trialling Transformative Ultra-Rapid Charging Train Battery.
An Example – Mid-Cornwall Metro
This map shows the Mid-Cornwall Metro.
Consider.
- Newquay and Par is 20.8 miles.
- Falmouth Docks and Par is 30.8 miles.
- Newquay and Falmouth Docks is 51.6 miles.
- The maximum speed between Par and Newquay is around 30 mph
- The maximum speed between Par and Falmouth Docks is around 50-70 mph
- There are twelve intermediate stations.
- There is a reverse at Par station.
- Charging would be easy to install at Falmouth Docks, Newquay and Par.
- In Par Station – 10th February 2024, I suggested that Par station could be fully-electrified, so that expresses could have a Splash-and-Dash on their way to London and Penzance. If all platforms at Par were electrified the Mid-Cornwall Metro trains could charge from the electrification, as they reversed.
There are two main ways that the Mid-Cornwall Metro might operate.
- There would be chargers at Newquay and Falmouth Docks and trains would shuttle the 51.6 miles between the two stations.
- There would only be charging at Par and trains would after charging at Par go alternatively to Newquay and Falmouth Docks.
The first might need smaller batteries and the second would only need one charger.
An Example – Uckfield Branch
The Uckfield branch is in Southern England.
- It is not electrified between Hurst Green Junction and Uckfield, which is 24.7 miles.
- There are eight intermediate stations.
- The line can accommodate ten-car trains.
There is space at Uckfield station for a charger.
Charging would be at Uckfield station and North of Hurst Green Junction, where it will use the existing electrification.
Conclusions
This leasing/rental model will surely encourage train operators to replace diesels with appropriate zero-carbon alternatives on routes that need to be decarbonised.
The Anonymous Widower 