We had a great day, thoroughly enjoyed the steam train ride with just enough time to walk around York While we went for the premier tickets, the breakfast was really great plenty of choice and hot. S... See more
Company replied
While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more
To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more
Review summary
Created with AI, based on recent reviews
What people talk about most
Reviews shaping this summary
Two little quibbles about the catering in first class: tasty "savoury of the day" (aka, sandwiches), but so tiny! Big scone (nice), but tiny pat of butter and small jam to go with. The staff were ve... See more
Company replied
Plenty of helpful stewards on board, well organised and paperwork arrived in plenty of time. Only problem on the day was a points & signal failure, which was a Network Rail problem and beyond Railway... See more
Company replied
No-one is perfect hence giving 4 Star, there is always room for improvement. We were reassured that we were on the right platform at the start of the journey after the Steward met us and direct... See more
Company details
Written by the company
The Railway Touring Company has a long established reputation for providing an interesting variety of UK day trips by steam train and tours in the UK, Europe and Worldwide.
Contact info
United Kingdom
- railwaytouring.net
4.0
Great
138 reviews
No recent history of asking for reviews
This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative
Replied to 55% of negative reviews
Typically takes over 1 month to reply
How this company uses Trustpilot
See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.
Good food and good service
Good food and good service. Obviously 35028 Clan Line was the star of the show, but, the Christmas Carol Service in Sherborne Abbey was a real treat.
3 December 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star feedback.
We are so pleased you enjoyed your day with us and the carol service in Sherborne.
Clan Line 35028 is a stunning loco and definitely the star of the show.
We hope you will travel with us again soon.
I was expecting nothing else than;
From the amazed look of my companion about the look of our locomotive (her first trip) to our last "Goodbye and Thank You" at the end of another enjoyable day.
3 December 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your lovely feedback.
We are so glad you and your companion had an enjoyable day with us.
These vintage engines really are an amazing sight aren't they. It is great that we are able to assist with keeping them on the mainline.
We hope you will join us for more adventures in 2026.
Quibbles about the catering, but a great day out.
Two little quibbles about the catering in first class: tasty "savoury of the day" (aka, sandwiches), but so tiny! Big scone (nice), but tiny pat of butter and small jam to go with. The staff were very helpful, although struggling with what they had to do.
Clan Line, as usual, was spectacular externally and internally, and gave a great performance when the circumstances permitted. The abbey could only provide "members of" the choir, so weren't very audible in the carols, but the choir pieces were fine, and somewhat unusual. Very nice to revisit Sherborne after maybe twenty years.
Shame about the mix-up with two coach E's!
3 December 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your comments.
We are glad you had a great day with us.
Your feedback on the First Class food service have been noted and will be passed on to Gravy Train Catering.
Our team of volunteer stewards/train managers and the Gravy Train Catering staff work very hard to ensure everyone has the best possible experience on board.
Clan Line was faultless wasn't she!
The carol concert is a lovely little bonus we feel at this time of year. We are glad you enjoyed this. Sherborne itself is a quaint little market town full of charm, a nice place to while away an afternoon.
We are sorry if there was a mix up on the day with your carriage. Please approach any of our team on the day with any queries, they are happy to assist with anything you may need.
We hope you will travel with us again.
A great blast from the past
My wife and I went on the steam train trip from York to Edinburgh return, to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, and absolutely loved it. We opted for the premier pullman class, which provided various breakfast options on the outward journey, including full English, which I enjoyed immensely. We stopped at Durham and Newcastle to pick up further passengers, before going on to Edinburgh, where we had three and a half hours, to take in the sites, including their Christmas market, before boarding our train back to York.
That journey included a four course silver service Christmas dinner, which was superb. The service provided throughout, by the train staff, was absolutely brilliant, and we could not have e asked for more. The steam engine itself, called Tangmere, and the comfortable well cared for carriages, made it an anniversary to remember, so thank you to all concerned for a wonderful unforgettable experience .
22 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star review.
It is great to hear you and your wife enjoyed your 50th Wedding Anniversary celebrations on board with us. Happy special Anniversary from us all here at RTC!
Edinburgh is a lovely place to spend some time, especially during the festive season. The steam train travel and sitting back in comfort in Premier Class makes it extra special doesn't it.
Your kind words on the food service, the Gravy Train crew and our volunteer stewards will be passed on. They all work very hard to ensure everyone has the best possible experience.
We hope you will travel with us again in the future.
Cancelled with only 3 weeks to go
We booked to go on the The Edinburgh Christmas Markets and had to book hotels either end of the day because we live far away from York.
The Railway Touring Company cancelled our train with only 3 weeks to go, meaning it was too late to cancel our hotels. All the Railway Touring Company would offer was a refund which didn't take into account any of the extra expense we incurred.
13 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback.
Unfortunately, due to insufficient bookings, we had to cancel our Edinburgh Christmas Market trip on 6th December. It is not a decision we took lightly but we are sure you can understand we cannot run a trip which is not viable.
In our communication to passengers affected we did offer them the chance to transfer their booking to another of the Edinburgh Christmas Market trips which ran on 22nd November and the final run on 20th December if they wished or a full refund of course or the option to transfer their booking to a different trip altogether.
,
We would always recommend making a flexible booking with any hotels so that these can be changed if necessary. However, it is always worth contacting the hotel/s and checking if they are prepared to let you move the booking to another suitable date in the first instance. Alternatively, if you cannot change the bookings, go and enjoy the weekend away.
We do state in our terms and conditions of booking, which you agree to when you make your booking and a copy of which is sent to you with your booking confirmation, that we are not liable for any consequential loss incurred by passengers in the event of a cancellation/change made to our trips. However we only cancel/change trips when we have no other option available to us.
The excursion was all we hoped for
The excursion was all we hoped for. We travelled on the premium service as a special treat. Food and food service was great with a full English breakfast on the outward journey while we got a wonderful Christmas dinner on the return trip. Special mention for the “Gravy Train” staff who cooked and served up our food, which was cooked fresh on the train.
You get what you pay for and we certainly got that and more. Thank you.
22 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star review.
It is great to hear your day with us was 'all you hoped for'!
Your compliments and kind words will be passed on to all at Gravy Train Catering for the food and food service you received. Their Full English is hard to beat we find!
We hope you will travel with us again in the future.
Staff excellent, food rubbish. …
All the staff on the train were very good and helpful, but the catering was pretty awful. I travelled premier class but for the extra I paid the food was very poor. The breakfast was okay but the dinner was very bad. If I'd been served it up in a pub I'd refused to pay. It was also served up not long after we pulled out of Chester, just after 4pm not during the evening as I would of thought. It was nowhere near the quality of food that I was paying an extra £100 a head extra for, i won't be doing that again.
22 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback.
We are sorry to hear that the on board food service did not meet with your expectations.
You do not say specifically what the issues were with the food so I cannot address this however if you wish to discuss this further you can email/call us directly at the office.
The dinner service always commences shortly after we commence our return journey, this is so the service is not rushed and everyone can enjoy their food in a leisurely manner, with it being four courses, and some passengers leaving the train at earlier points than others.
Your kind words will be passed on to our on-board team.
Brilliant day out on the Cheshireman to…
Brilliant day out on the Cheshireman to chester fab breakfast and evening meal staff brill nothing negative i did 3 videos on the food on tictok im planes trains uk yum the food was great
22 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star review of our Cheshireman trip.
It is great to hear you had a brilliant day on board with us and you enjoyed the food service so much you went to TikTok with it!
Your compliments and kind words will be passed on to Gravy Train Catering and our team of volunteer stewards/train managers.
We hope you will travel with us again in the future.
The respect The crew took in placing my…
The respect The crew took in placing my dads ashes in the firebox and towards the end of the trip one came and let me how shall we it was a 1st for me and them
19 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback.
Your kind words will be passed on to our team of volunteer stewards/train managers and the loco crew for ensuring the placing of your Dad's ashes went to plan. We always feel privileged to be asked and to be able to assist with such important events.
When travelling by train was a pleasure.
This is the second experience we have been on and just like the first it was a very enjoyable day. The train staff and onboard stewards are all very friendly, helpful and always ready to make sure you have everything you need to have a good time and nothing is too much trouble.
We enjoyed a first class 4 course lunch in first class surroundings and as this was November and getting close to Christmas the train carriages were all decorated to give it that festive feel.
All in all an excellent day well worth the money and looking forward to looking at their 2026 brochure to plan another lovely day out.
Thank you to all the onboard train staff for everything, for all your hard work on the day making it a very pleasurable experience.
19 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star feedback.
It is great to hear you have enjoyed your experiences with us, both times.
Your kind words and thanks will be passed on to our on-board team. They work very hard to ensure everyone has the best possible day with us.
The four course dinner is a lovely touch isn't it. Sitting back in the comfort of your vintage carriage watching the world go by. We decorate the train ourselves, we feel it adds that little bit extra to our Christmas trips.
We look forward to welcoming you back on board in 2026.
A good day out
My Wife & I enjoyed a round trip of Kent, including Sheerness on Sea on the "Armistice Day" Special. The train was well timed by Network Rail to allow some good running by the loco 34028 Eddystone. The Staff in First Class (coach D), served Tea/Coffee, Bacon Roll & Muffin in the morning, and afternoon tea in the afternoon. The Staff worked tirelessly to give a friendly, pleasant & professional service. The 2min silence for Rememberance was well respected in our coach, whist the poem "They Shall Not Grow Old" by Laurence Binyon was well read.
Whilst I fully commend the RTC for their fund raising they do, and I hope they continue to do so on future tours for the worthy charities they support, I felt perhaps on this occasion, "The Royal British Legion" should have been included in their fund raising. However, that said, all good day and a good trip. Thank you to all.
11 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star feedback.
We are glad yourself and your wife enjoyed your day with us on our Armistice Steam Express trip.
Eddystone performed well didn't she.
The First Class food service is lovely and light. We are pleased this was enjoyed by you.
Our team of volunteer stewards/train managers and the Gravy Train Catering staff all work very hard to ensure everyone on board has the best possible experience. Your kind words will be passed on to them.
We always mark Armistice Day in the appropriate manner. We felt the 2 minute silence and poem did this justice.
We always support the Railway Children charity for vulnerable children on the streets and at transport hubs. This was our founders' charity of choice. Your suggestion for monies raised on future Armistice Day trips has been noted and passed on.
We hope you will travel with us again.
Wonderful journey up to York and back…
Wonderful journey up to York and back to Huntingdon. Food and service superb, the staff are totally professional. Locomotive and carriages lovely.
15 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star feedback.
We are glad to hear you had a wonderful day on board with us to York.
Your kind words and compliments will be passed on to Gravy Train Catering and our team of volunteer stewards/train managers.
It is a lovely way to spend your time isn't it, reliving times gone by travelling behind an iconic steam engine in vintage carriages.
We hope you will travel with us again in the future.
Enjoyable day
We had a great day, thoroughly enjoyed the steam train ride with just enough time to walk around York
While we went for the premier tickets, the breakfast was really great plenty of choice and hot. Sadly the evening Christmas meal let itself down considerably with almost raw vegetables and cold. starter dessert and cheeses were good Definitely need to look closer at keeping things Hot
15 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback.
We are glad you enjoyed your day with us to York.
It is great to hear you enjoyed your breakfasts, starters and cheese courses. We are very sorry that the main evening meal did not meet your expectations. Please do bring any issues with the food service to the attention of your server on the day so that they can rectify this for you there and then. Your comments have been noted and will be passed on to Gravy Train Catering.
We hope you will travel with us again.
Lovely fine dining day trip to York
Lovely fine dining day trip to York on 15th November. We have done this one a few times now and it never fails to please. The staff are truly first class, excellent service and very friendly. Highly recommended!
15 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star review of our Christmas White Rose trip.
We are glad to hear you enjoyed your day with us. It must be good if you have done it several times previously right!
Your kind words will be passed on to Gravy Train Catering and our team of volunteer stewards/train managers.
Thank you for the recommendation too!
We hope you will travel with us again in 2026.
EVERYTHING WAS FINE
15 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback.
We are glad you enjoyed your experience on board with us.
We hope you will travel with us again.
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star feedback.
We are happy to hear you had a brilliant experience on board with us.
We hope to welcome you back on board soon.
AWFUL, ATROCIOUS, AVOID!
PLEASE - don't be tempted to pay this company any money, but rather pay that bit more and travel with Saphos. We gave this firm a second chance, yet the day was just as bad. Awful customer service from an outsourced catering company. The food was disgusting and churned out like old school dinners. Dirty cutlery, a premium 'Prawn & Smoked salmon' salad starter. Look at the photo posted o Tripadvisor, and I implore you to locate the salmon. I complained but executive management couldnt care less, dumbing down my experience as an only report of unsatisfactory service. Look at the multitude of complaints by several customers, all saying the same. Furthermore, we didn't feel safe, carriages were dirty. AVOID!
**This review is based on my own personal experience and is the truthful opinion and thoughts of this service provider, as is my statutory right as a consumer**
14 December 2024
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your comments.
As we have dealt with this matter with you personally via email we will not be responding further here.
Two trips booked and 2 trips cancelled
Two trips booked and 2 trips cancelled. The first was the Kentish Belle trip around the Kent Coast on August 6th and the latest was a trip to Canterbury on the 10th December. No real apology other than that's the way it is!! Not remotely good enough. I will not be booking with this company again.
6 August 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your feedback.
Our Kentish Belle trip was cancelled due to the scheduled loco being unavailable to us and no substitute being available at said time, as explained in our communication to you.
Our Canterbury Christmas Express trip was cancelled due to multiple operational issues with running the trip.
Whilst is is unfortunate that both trips you were booked on were affected by issues, these issues were beyond our control and could not have been foreseen by us.
We did apologise sincerely in both our communications regarding the trips, if you refer back to these.
We are sorry to hear you would not book with us in the future as we would like you to experience one of our trips in all its glory as advertised.
Excellent day out
Excellent day out , lovely day and weather , knowledgeable people and staff, and bang on schedule everywhere we went, the coaches could do with a little more legroom haha, but a very pleasant day.
11 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your lovely comments.
It is great to hear you had an excellent day on board with us.
The weather behaving always helps!
Unfortunately we cannot change the legroom available, but if we could we would!
We hope you will travel with us again soon.
Everything was good
Everything was good. The train journey went as expected, the RTC team and the Gravy Train team were all very helpful and very pleasant and the food and drink was very good. Definitely value for money. A most enjoyable day. Looking forward to next time I travel with RTC!
1 November 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from The Railway Touring Company
Thank you for your five star review.
We are glad you enjoyed your day with us.
Your kind words and compliments will be passed on to Gravy Train Catering and our team of volunteer stewards/train managers.
We hope to welcome you on board again soon.
The Trustpilot Experience
Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.
Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. Labeled Verified, they’re about genuine experiences.
Learn more about other kinds of reviews.
We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.
Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.
Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.
Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.
Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.