TRAINSPOTTERS in north Shropshire and North Wales could be in with the chance to see what has been described as Britain’s 'poshest' train fly past next summer.

The Northern Belle – described by legendary actor Bill Nighy on TV as “the Grand Duchess of Luxury” and “the experience of a lifetime” – will steam into Wrexham for the first time on Saturday, July 31.

The Northern Belle will set out from Telford Central at 7am and pick up passengers at Shrewsbury at 8am, then Wrexham at 8.30am and Chester at 8.50am on July 31. The train is scheduled to arrive back in Wrexham at 8.20pm.

Whitchurch Herald:

Hauled by the locomotive Princess Elizabeth is set to haul the Northern Belle on a slap-up champagne trip over the spectacular Settle-Carlisle line through the Yorkshire Dales.

Nearly 300 passengers will tuck into a champagne brunch in the ornately-decorated 1930s-style Pullman carriages during the outward journey to Carlisle on the morning of Saturday July 31.

The Northern Belle, which used to be part of the iconic Orient Express group, featured on Channel 5’s World’s Most Scenic Railways programme earlier this year.

Like on that occasion, the train will be hauled by 88-year-old steam locomotive Princess Elizabeth, which once pulled crack expresses between London and Scotland.

Named after the Queen while she was still a schoolgirl, the engine was fondly nicknamed “Lizzie” by generations of railwaymen before being withdrawn from service by British Rail in1962.

Veteran driver Chris Cubitt who was on the footplate during the Channel 5 programme, told viewers: “All steam locomotives are temperamental.

“They’re like women, you’ve got to treat them right.

"I you don’t, they’ll soon let you down!”

For more details see www.northernbelle.co.uk or phone 01270 899681.