A RARE and ‘off the beaten track’ rail tour will be going to Harwich Town train station this weekend – instead of stopping at Harwich International.

UK Rail Tour’s class 33 locomotive will depart from London Fenchurch Street on Sunday July 28 and will take an “unusual diversionary route”.

The train will go to the Gas Factory Jn and Bow Jn to join the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) prior to the next pick up at Stratford station.

There will be further pick-ups at Chelmsford and Colchester before the diversion from the GEML at Manningtree.

The purpose of the diversion is so the locomotive hauled train can go to Harwich Town rather than Harwich International where “so many previous charters have reversed.”

The train then has “conditional” stops to Griffin Wharf and Brett Aggregates, with UK rail aiming to be first passenger train to enter the later, both stops being conditional on track inspection.

The train will then go to Clacton– where there will be a 45-minute break – and the Walton and Colchester Town.

Tickets, which went on sale on July 22, are all booked up, including both standard class and first-class at £144 and £199 respectively, with no hot food or hot drinks being available for this train.

To find out about future UK rail tours https://www.ukrailtours.com/product/the-waterside-wanderer/ and 01438 715050