About UK mainline steam and diesel charters

Mainline charter trains are special services run on Britain's national rail network outside of the regular timetabled passenger services. They use the same tracks as everyday Avanti, GWR, LNER and other operators, but they're commissioned by tour companies and run for the benefit of railway enthusiasts, day-trip groups and dining-train passengers. Many are hauled by historic steam locomotives or vintage diesels long retired from regular service — the only chance most people now get to see classics like Tornado, Mayflower, Galatea or Black Five at speed on the main line.

Who runs UK mainline charters?

Several specialist operators are certified to run trains on the national network. The biggest names include West Coast Railways (Carnforth-based, runs The Jacobite and many Cathedrals Express tours), Locomotive Services Ltd trading as Saphos Trains (Crewe-based, operates The Royal Scotsman and steam excursions across the UK), Vintage Trains (Tyseley, the Shakespeare Express and West Midlands tours), and Steam Dreams. Luxury day-trippers include the Northern Belle and Belmond British Pullman. Each operator has its own booking process — click any charter on the list above for the operator's website.

What the headcodes mean

Network Rail classifies every train with a four-character "headcode" or signalling ID. The first two characters tell you what the working is:

• 1Z — express passenger charter. The actual tour with passengers on board. This is what most people want to see.
• 0Z — light engine. The locomotive running on its own with no coaches, typically positioning to or from the start of a charter.
• 5Z — empty coaching stock. The carriages being moved without passengers, typically being taken from a depot to the charter's starting point or back afterwards.

By default our list shows just the passenger trains, but tick the "Also show light-engine and empty-stock movements" box to see the supporting moves around each charter — useful if you're trying to track a specific locomotive's movements throughout the day.

Where the data comes from

All schedule data is sourced live from the Network Rail open data feeds, refreshed daily at around 7am. Schedules can change at short notice — particularly around fire-risk warnings, when steam services may be diesel-hauled instead, or when engineering work alters routes. Always check the operator's own website close to the day for the latest information, locomotive bookings and any service alerts. For real-time running on the day itself, use the "Track live on Realtime Trains" button on each charter's detail page.

Lineside safety

If you're heading out to photograph or watch a charter, please do so only from public footpaths, station platforms, and other accessible public spaces. Never trespass on the railway, never stand on or near operational lines, and respect "no access" signs. Some popular photographic spots on the network are managed by railway photographic societies who liaise with Network Rail; their advice is worth following.