UK Railtours

What UK Railtours does

UK Railtours is a UK-based, privately held charter railtour operator that organises heritage railway excursions and rail-based leisure travel. Founded in 1978 and operating since 1987 under its current brand (previously Hertfordshire Railtours), the company is a sole proprietorship run by Clare Farrow from Welwyn, Hertfordshire, with a headcount of 1-10. It operates entirely within Great Britain, marketing tours across England, Scotland, and Wales with departures predominantly from London terminals and M25-corridor stations.

Its product is organised into three core categories — Main Line Steam Tours (steam-hauled excursions behind locomotives such as Merchant Navy class 35028 Clan Line and A1 Peppercorn class Tornado), Great Days Out (excursions using blue and grey Mk2 carriages to heritage sites, gardens, and coastal destinations), and Off The Beaten Track (enthusiast tours over rare and freight-only routes). Tours are delivered through a partner-dependent operating model: haulage is provided by GB Railfreight, DB Cargo, Heavy Haul, and EPR; rolling stock by Eastern Rail Services and Hanson and Hall Rail Services; onboard catering by The Railway Diners and CRD Limited; luxury experiences via a co-marketing arrangement with Belmond British Pullman. All routings depend on Network Rail pathing approvals.

UK Railtours sells directly to consumers through its website (Fiserv Clover-powered checkout), telephone bookings, postal bookings, an e-newsletter, and a Facebook page. Revenue comes from per-tour ticket sales across four seating tiers (Standard, Standard Junior, First Class Non Dining, First Class Dining, and the Belmond Pullman luxury tier) priced from £89 to £695 per person, plus Pullman private accommodations up to £2,680 for four guests, with a gift voucher add-on stream. Primary customers are UK rail enthusiasts seeking rare traction and unusual routes, with secondary demand from leisure tourists and special occasion / private-hire customers.

Name

UK Railtours

Legal name

Clare Farrow

Website

https://ukrailtours.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UK Railtours is a privately held UK charter railtour operator that organises heritage steam, diesel, and luxury Belmond Pullman excursions for rail enthusiasts and leisure travellers, selling tickets directly via its website, phone, and postal channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Rail Tourism

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (487110), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Journey Package Tour Operators (THAKADAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury/Tourist Scenic Intercity Rail Operators (THAIAAAF), Tourist/Scenic/Heritage Passenger Rail Operators (TLAFADAG)

Keywords

• Heritage rail tours
• Charter rail excursions
• Steam locomotive tours
• UK railtour operator
• Luxury train holidays

Headquarters

HQ city

Welwyn Garden City

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Rail Tour Ticket Sales: UK Railtours generates revenue primarily through selling tickets for their rail excursion tours. They offer multiple booking classes including Standard Class, Standard Junior, First Class Non Dining, and First Class Dining. Luxury experiences are offered through Belmond British Pullman partnerships with Pullman and Pullman Coupe seating options. Tours are priced individually with Early Bird discounts available for advance bookings.
2. Gift Vouchers: The company sells gift vouchers in customizable amounts, sent by First Class post within one working day of purchase. Vouchers have no monetary value, are non-refundable, and include an expiry date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

UK Railtours organises charter railway excursions and rail-based holidays across the UK, offering three core tour categories: Main Line Steam Tours (journeys behind iconic steam locomotives), Great Days Out (excursions to stately homes, gardens, and scenic destinations via blue and grey Mk.2 carriages), and Off The Beaten Track (enthusiast tours to rare and non-passenger railway lines). The company also offers luxury dining experiences aboard the Belmond British Pullman and sells gift vouchers.

Product overview

UK Railtours operates a portfolio of chartered rail excursion tours across Britain, organized into three main categories: Main Line Steam Tours (steam locomotive journeys), Great Days Out (traditional excursions using Mk.2 carriages to destinations including stately homes and gardens), and Off The Beaten Track (enthusiast-focused tours visiting rare railway locations). The company offers various seating classes including Standard Class, First Class, First Class Dining, and Belmond British Pullman luxury dining experiences. Tours range from day trips to multi-day excursions, with pricing from £89 to £695 per person depending on class and destination. Gift vouchers are available as add-on products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Main Line Steam Tours
• Great Days Out Tours
• Off The Beaten Track Tours
• Belmond British Pullman Luxury Experiences
• UK Railtours Gift Voucher

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Brighton BelleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA project to bring a complete early 1930s train to the mainline. Listed as a partner/friend in the industry links section.
• CRD LimitedcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOn train catering team providing food service on UK Railtours excursions. Core operational partner for dining experiences.
• The A1 Steam Locomotive TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust formed to build and operate Peppercorn class A1 Pacific steam locomotive (Tornado). UK Railtours features Tornado on select tours.
• GB RailfreightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Class 57/3, Class 66, Class 67, and Class 69 locomotives for UK Railtours operations. Core traction partner contributing haulage for Independence Day and Christmas tours.
• DB CargocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor freight operator providing Class 66 locomotives for UK Railtours tours. First UK freight company to operate Class 66 locomotives when introduced in 1998.
• Heavy HaulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreight operator providing Class 66 locomotives, including former Freightliner pool examples, for UK Railtours enthusiast tours.
• Belmond British PullmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuxury heritage train operator providing Pullman carriages for UK Railtours premium experiences including Worcester Pullman tours. World-famous Belmond brand association.
• Eastern Rail ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Mk2 carriages for UK Railtours touring stock. Core operational partner supplying rolling stock.
• Hanson and Hall Rail ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTour operator providing operational services for select UK Railtours excursions including Southern Seaside Sparrow and Another Cockney Comes Home tours.
• EPR (EuroPhoenix Rail)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Class 37 locomotives for UK Railtours heritage tours. Key traction partner for enthusiast-focused routes.
• The Railway DinerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides onboard catering including well-stocked buffet cars serving snacks and drinks, and First Class Dining meal service for UK Railtours tours.
• Network RailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInfrastructure manager whose route availability and pathing approvals determine tour feasibility. All advertised details subject to Network Rail confirmation.
• Martin House Children's HospiceminorOthersUK Railtours makes donations to Martin House Children's Hospice on select tours as a charitable cause meaningful to industry partners involved in tour operations.
• Tom Said MicropubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides mobile beer festival service on select tours including Independence Day, featuring up to ten different beers and ciders.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Railway Touring Company: UK-based heritage railtour operator offering steam and diesel-hauled excursions across Britain with similar ticket classes and enthusiast targeting. The most direct competitive peer to UK Railtours, often running tours over comparable routes and seasons.
• Vintage Trains: UK heritage charter train operator offering steam and diesel excursions. Comparable in charter railtour model, though with a different operational base; competes for similar enthusiast demand in the West Midlands and beyond.
• Saphos Trains: UK railtour operator running both steam and diesel excursions aimed at enthusiasts and leisure travellers. Operates with similar charter locomotive model and comparable price points to UK Railtours' First Class and Pullman offerings.
• West Coast Railways: UK charter train operator running Jacobite-style and mainline steam/diesel excursions. Direct competitor in the heritage railtour market with overlapping customer base and similar Network Rail-dependent operations.
• Steam Dreams: UK steam-hauled railtour operator running day trips and longer excursions from London to destinations including Canterbury, York, and the Cotswolds. Directly comparable in heritage rail day-trip model and enthusiast customer base.
• Pathfinder Tours: UK railtour operator specialising in enthusiast-focused tours over rare routes and freight-only lines. Closely comparable to UK Railtours' "Off The Beaten Track" series, targeting the same niche enthusiast persona.

Others

• Belmond British Pullman: Luxury heritage train operator that partners with UK Railtours rather than competing directly. Comparable because Belmond Pullman sets the premium luxury benchmark that UK Railtours' Pullman tier replicates; relevant as both partner and adjacent benchmark.
• GB Railfreight: UK freight operator that supplies locomotives (Class 57, 66, 67, 69) to UK Railtours and other railtour operators. Adjacent as a key traction supplier rather than a competitor, but its commercial priorities materially shape UK Railtours' product availability.

Regional players

• Torbay Express / Torbay Steam Railway enthusiast tours: UK heritage railtour operator focused primarily on South West England routes including the Torbay Express. Regional competitor with similar heritage railtour product but narrower geographic reach than UK Railtours' nationwide programme.

Emerging players

• Rail Adventure: UK railtour operator with growing presence offering enthusiast tours using both steam and diesel traction. An emerging competitor in the same charter railtour segment with overlapping routes and customer demographics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ukrailtours
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uk-railtours

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UK Railtours