First Aboard: Here’s What It’s Like To Stay On The Chairman’s Train

I’m snuggled in bed looking at the beautiful scenery of Scotland. Nothing unusual in that you might think – but my bed and view are moving.

I’m one of the lucky ones to be first on The Chairman’s Train, the UK’s first privately owned heritage train, now opening up to passionate rail travellers. Its nine original carriages have been beautifully and painstakingly restored, taking you back to a time when travel was slow and glamorous and where the journey was just as important as the destination.

For now, I’m enjoying my very cosy duvet in my aptly-named (after all of the delicious food I have consumed aboard) Piglet’s House suite. It is one of three suites themed around classic children’s books on board; the others are The Rabbit Hole and Toad Hall. There are five further double bedrooms as well as a very impressive Emperor Suite on board. The latter has lots of whimsical touches with figures like Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore in marquetry, to a map of the Hundred Acre Wood on a pillow.

The Emperor Suite observation window (© Stephen Hayward)

This is echoed by the most incredible detail elsewhere. How they managed to fit in a bathroom with a large shower, a seating area and a desk is testament to the ingenuity of the design team. There are also L’Occitane products, a heated towel rail, a safe, a wardrobe, bathrobes, slippers and a Roberts radio. Plus a very snazzy window tint, where you can blur the window in case you stop at a station and forget you are in your aforementioned bathrobe – which I nearly did.

The restoration is the brainchild of rail enthusiast and Chairman’s Train owner Jeremy Hosking. This really is his train set – and from 2027 you can hire it for exclusive use. He joins us on the journey and, at dinner, his enthusiasm for all things rail is infectious.

As we move from London’s Euston to Crewe, on to Kilmarnock and back to the capital, we are hauled by three engines: electric, diesel and the beautiful Blue Peter steam locomotive. Your inner child immediately comes out when you see and hear Blue Peter and it draws many a delighted gasp from train enthusiasts gathering along the route.

Moidart King Suite (© Stephen Hayward)

After we travel over the picturesque Ribble viaduct, we stop at Dent – the highest rail station in England – and the cute North Yorkshire station of Hellifield. Trainspotters gather to greet Jeremy and shake his hand, grateful to him for keeping these beautiful engines going. It’s lovely to see so many children so engaged.

It’s something Tony Bush, Managing Director at Locomotive Services Limited, behind the train, is keen to encourage. At their Crewe depot, we see their other trains being restored, and Tony tells me how the company employs many local people and is a big part of the community. The older generation of engineers are passing on their skills onto apprentices, and craftsmanship is taken seriously. Great, too, to see a female boiler engineer.

While the hulks of engines are worked on, carriages are also being kitted out with original fixtures and fittings, meticulously sourced. The Chairman’s Train design by Sara Oliver has plush velvet armchairs and pouffes, vintage books and drinks trolleys – plus modern touches like magnetic strips on your Champagne glass to stop it spilling when moving. One of my favourite spots was the armchair in the Zanzibar Observation Car, where you put your feet up and watch the world go by.

The Club Car (© Stephen Hayward)

The train has its own private chef, and the food is top notch. I had the most delicious afternoon tea, and dinner was a sumptuous feast of lamb and scallops with a humongous cheese board. Breakfast, too, was a moreish platter of fruit and yoghurt, plus you could have a proper full English or sourdough with smoked salmon.

The dining room has a 16-seater table and you can take a postprandial at the cosy drawing rooms or Hippocrene bar. The staff on board – including engineers – couldn’t have been more welcoming.

This year, curated trips are available on The Chairman’s Train: to the West Highlands from July 10–14 and August 14–18. Completely bespoke itineraries will be available from 2027, travelling around the UK. Plus, you can hire the train in its entirety for just two to 16 people. Bagsy Piglet’s House.

Zanzibar Observation Window (© Stephen Hayward)

BOOK IT

Prices for a private charter on The Chairman’s Train start from £45,000 for a return day trip (max. 10 hours), increasing by £25,000 for every day thereafter. For more information, visit thechairmanstrain.com