The Dining Train departs from, and returns to, Bury Bolton Street Station (BL9 0EY).
Every effort will be made to ensure that steam locomotives haul our dining services. However, should a steam locomotive be unavailable, the East Lancashire Railway reserves the right to substitute a diesel locomotive without prior notice. We reserve the right to suspend, reschedule or cancel services if operational circumstances or safety make this necessary.
We do not guarantee that the seats you book will be the seats you are given on the day. This is because our Dining Train Manager may have to move passengers around to allow us to accommodate those with limited mobility or large groups. However, we do guarantee those booked on a table for two, will be seated on a table for two. Those booked on a table for four, will be seated on a table for four. If you have booked two seats on a table of four, you will be seated next to each other, allowing both parties on the table to benefit from a window seat.
Please advise us if you have booked specific seats due to mobility or have arranged to be seated next to a booking under a different name.
Our evening diners are for ages 16+ (18+ on Tasters, Comedy and Premium), but children are most welcome on our day time diners, which include our Traditional ‘midweek’ Luncheons, Lancastrian Lunches and Festive Lunches (excludes Afternoon Teas). Child tickets are for children aged 3 to 12. A child under three can attend free of charge but they will not receive a meal or seat. They must be seated on an adult’s knee, as we cannot provide highchairs due to the layout of the carriages.
The East Lancashire Railway has a selection of reasonably priced drinks on board.
You can bring bottled wine or champagne on board, but there will be a corkage fee of £10.00 per bottle.
All of our Diners depart from Bury Bolton Street Station which has step free access to the platforms. However, we regret that our 1950’s coaches are unable to accommodate wheelchair passengers. We can provide a small ramp during boarding to aid those with limited mobility, but passengers will be required to walk to their seats. Please let us know when making your booking that you require priority seating near the door.
It is a sparkling Perry, 7.5% alc and can be changed for a fresh orange juice upon request.
No, dogs are not permitted on board, unless it is an assistance dog which you will need to notify us about beforehand.
Premium nights are black tie events. We encourage fancy dress for our Murder Mystery and Comedy themed dining trains. For all other evening dining experiences the dress code is Smart/Smart-Casual. For our Lancastrian Lunches the dress code is Smart-Casual, and for our Traditional (midweek) Luncheons and Afternoon Teas, the dress code is Casual.
Please let us know in advance so we can ensure our staff are aware of the occasion. You can also chose to purchase some of our dining add-ons which include champagne. These can be bought up to 7 days before the date of your experience.
No, E-Cigs and cigarettes are not permitted on board.
- We cater for a range of dietary requirements including Vegetarian, Pescetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Diabetic and Halal (This will be a roast chicken breast.)
- We also offer the option to select an alternative starter of Melon on all applicable dining experiences (excludes Mid-Week Luncheons and Afternoon Teas) and an alternative dessert of Fruit Salad or Cheese and Biscuits (Excludes Afternoon Teas.)
- Vegetarian/Pescetarian – Starters will be as per the standard set menu unless unsuitable, in which case the advertised Vegetarian starter will be provided.
- All dietary requirements must be selected at the time of booking, or emailed to dwd@eastlancsrailway.co.uk no later than 7 days before the date of travel.
- Please note, regretfully we are unable to cater for diabetic, lactose free, dairy free, vegan or pescetarian options on our afternoon tea services.
In-date Vouchers can be refunded in full, up to a month after the date of purchase, to the person who made the original booking only.
- Any bookings cancelled OVER 3 weeks before the date of the booked event – 100% refund (minus original booking fee) to original payment method.
- Any bookings cancelled between 1 week and 3 weeks before the booked event – 100% refund via gift voucher or 75% refund to original payment method (minus original booking fee).
- Any bookings less than a week but more than 3 days before the booked event – 50% refund via gift voucher (minus original booking fee)
Bookings cancelled less than 3 days prior to the event will not be entitled to any refund.
Refunds may take up to 28 days to process.
The simple answer is ‘yes’ and unfortunately these costs have to be passed on. The cost to run a steam locomotive has risen considerably. This is primarily due to the volatility of coal supply – in terms of cost and availability. On the dining train set, a Diesel generator is used for power and heating, and it is no longer permitted to use tax-free fuel for this purpose. In addition, the ELR is facing significant increases in catering cost provision which directly affects the dining operation.
While every effort is made to operate advertised services with the scheduled locomotive, the Company reserves the right to substitute the advertised locomotive with another heritage locomotive (steam or diesel) at its discretion and without prior notice.
Substitutions may be necessary for reasons including, but not limited to, adverse weather conditions (e.g., high fire risk), mechanical issues, operational constraints, or safety considerations.
Such substitutions shall not constitute a significant alteration of the service and do not entitle passengers to a refund, partial refund, compensation, or transfer, provided the advertised journey, catering provision (if applicable), and other core elements of the experience are fulfilled with reasonable care and skill.
By purchasing a ticket, passengers accept that locomotive substitutions are a recognised possibility inherent to the operation of heritage railways and do not diminish the service’s overall value when delivered per these terms.
