Where do I board the train?

The meeting point is Birmingham Snow Hill; check your booking for final joining instructions.

What are the departure and return times?

The service is scheduled to depart at 09:30 and return at 12:45, with final timings confirmed about 48 hours before travel.

Brunch is included for First Class passengers and served at the seat; Standard tickets have access to light refreshments from the buffet.

Can I bring young children?

Children under 16 must travel with a fare-paying adult; children aged five and under are not permitted in First Class.

Are there accessibility provisions?

Wheelchair spaces are limited and some coaches lack disability-friendly toilets; contact the operator to confirm available accommodations.

What about refunds or changes if the locomotive is substituted?

The operator may substitute locomotives or alter services and will offer transfers, refunds or credit notes if they cancel or change dates; check the cancellation policy when booking.

Brunch Aboard the Flying Scotsman: The Shakespeare Express from Birmingham | Train | Carriage

Step back into the golden age of steam aboard the Flying Scotsman on The Shakespeare Express, a mainline brunch run that winds through Warwickshire's gentle countryside. This three-hour round trip leaves from Birmingham Snow Hill and returns the same morning, offering a rare chance to travel behind one of Britain’s most celebrated steam locomotives while you dine in carriage comfort. Expect a mix of preserved railway theatre and unhurried sightseeing that suits both rail enthusiasts and casual visitors. First Class guests sit in original 1960s First Class carriages and enjoy brunch served at their seat, with tea and coffee kept available throughout the journey. Standard tickets secure reserved seats in Mk2 coaching stock and provide access to a small onboard buffet for light refreshments. Timings are approximate: departures are scheduled from Birmingham Snow Hill at 09:30 with a planned return at 12:45, and final times are confirmed about forty eight hours before travel. Passengers should aim to arrive at least twenty minutes early to allow time for boarding and seat allocation. Outside the windows the route reveals Warwickshire’s low cultivated hills: patchwork fields, clipped hedgerows, ancient roadside oaks and small copses that change with the seasons. This is countryside travel rather than wilderness; sights are intimate and shifting, with grazing pasture, trim lanes and river corridors offering steady, camera-friendly scenes. What makes the experience unique is the locomotive itself: running on the mainline, the Flying Scotsman transforms a morning outing into a moving demonstration of steam-era engineering and preservation. Historic fittings in the carriages—polished wood, original upholstery and period detail—pair with modern service like table dining in First Class and on-board servers for drinks. Accessibility is limited; the operator notes constrained wheelchair spaces, no disability friendly toilets in some coaches and restrictions on carriage types for very young children. Children under sixteen must travel with a fare paying adult and those aged five and under are not permitted in First Class, so check age rules before booking. If you intend to dine, advise dietary requests when you book; assistance and support dogs are welcome with prior notice. For travelers based in Birmingham or visiting the West Midlands, this outing pairs neatly with a short riverside walk or an afternoon museum visit, making it an efficient taste of the countryside. Bring a camera, layer up against chilly carriage draughts, and arrive hungry: the combination of moving views and brunch served at your seat makes this a memorably relaxed morning. Whether you come for the locomotive, the period carriages, or simply a quiet, scenic way to spend a morning, The Shakespeare Express offers a rare slice of Britain’s rail heritage close to Birmingham. Book early—seats on Flying Scotsman excursions tend to fill.

About Vintage Trains

Vintage Trains is a Birmingham-based heritage rail operator that runs a programme of steam- and diesel-hauled excursions, dining trips and depot tours across the UK. Founded and based at Tyseley Depot, the company preserves historic locomotives and carriages while operating scheduled special trains such as THE POLAR EXPRESS™, The Shakespeare Express and long-distance explorers to destinations including Manchester, Newcastle and North Wales.

Operating from Tyseley Depot in Birmingham, Vintage Trains offers curated day trips, festive events and themed dining experiences designed for families, rail enthusiasts and leisure travellers. Signature journeys include the festive THE POLAR EXPRESS™ family experience, seasonal Christmas market excursions, full dining services such as three-course Sunday lunches and thematic entertainment like Murder on The Shakespeare Express and Mad Hatter’s Tea Parties.

Tyseley Depot tours provide behind-the-scenes access to a 1908 Great Western Railway locomotive depot, including the roundhouse, turntable and working locomotives with guided interpretation. Vintage Trains combines heritage conservation with public operations, maintaining restored rolling stock to operate authentic rail experiences.

Tickets, seating classes and catering options vary by trip; Tourist seats and Pullman dining are available on selected services. The operator runs both steam-hauled specials and diesel-hauled explorers and highlights regional routes such as the Welsh Highland Railway segment on the Welsh Highland Explorer. Vintage Trains focuses on delivering historically informed, family-friendly excursions and accessible depot tours from its Birmingham base.

Booking, safety and accessibility information are published for each trip, and advance reservations are recommended for popular seasonal services and dining experiences during peak travel periods.