Dining carriages on trains evoke feelings of nostalgia, glamour and even an element of intrigue and mystery. Indeed, it was in the restaurant car where Hercule Poirot gathered the passengers to reveal the identity of the culprit in Agatha Christie’s most famous of novels, Murder on the Orient Express.
White linen covered tables, silver cutlery, fresh flowers and velvet seats create a sumptuous setting to eat while you travel. You can hear the tinkling of glasses and murmuring of the guests as they wine and dine.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway offers a picturesque route to experience the romance and relaxed decadence of the dining carriage, transporting you back in time to the golden age of rail travel. You can book either a lunch service or an evening meal with menus changing to reflect the time of year.
The Pullman Dining Train takes you on a two and a half hour return journey from Grosmont to Pickering. Arriving at Grosmont Station for the trip, you immediately feel you have stepped back in time with the period ticket office and waiting room. The Pullman gleams on the track waiting to welcome you aboard into the series of carriages, restored to their original glory.
Tables for two or four are in each carriage with private four-person coupes also available. As you take your seat you are waved off by people on the platform. Hauled by steam engines or heritage diesel locomotives, a whistle blows to signal the Pullman’s departure as it sets off along the 18-mile heritage line.
A three-course lunch awaits with guests pre-ordering their choices ahead of the trip. Seasonal menus feature locally sourced food and drinks. A table of four in our carriage each tried a local gin as an aperitif and there is also a comprehensive wine list to peruse.
This is slow travel at its best. No hurtling through the countryside on an express train, rather it is a meander - this is all about the journey not the destination. There is something unique about the sights and sounds of steam travel so sit back and relax in your seat taking in the views.
Along the route, the train pauses briefly in the village of Goathland where the station became Hogsmeade Station in the first Harry Potter film and which also featured as Aidensfield in the TV favourite Heartbeat.
Soon after passing through Goathland we were served our starters of ham hock terrine and Caprese salad - a perfect, light start to the meal. The train continues along the track passing through the small village of Levisham as you are served your main course - for us a Bouillabaisse with a selection of local seafood and a goat’s cheese and beetroot tart served with seasonal vegetables.
On arrival at Pickering, passengers can disembark to have a look around the 1930’s themed station with its grand roof structure which was reinstated to the original design built back in 1847 by architect George Townsend Andrews.
Settling back on the train for the return journey it is time for dessert. We shared a trio of chocolate tart, raspberry cheesecake and a lemon posset as well as a selection of cheeses accompanied by Yorkshire chutney. Coffee and tea and a small box of chocolates rounds off the wonderful repast leaving you time to relax for the rest of the trip. With the expansive landscape of the North Yorkshire Moors this is a trip to savour anytime of the year with the seasons creating an ever-changing landscape.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a charitable trust which owns the line from Grosmont to Pickering and operates through Network Rail from Grosmont through to Whitby. Every year it welcomes around 300,000 passengers making it Britain’s most popular heritage railway. The day to day running is carried out by more than 550 volunteers and the love and enthusiasm for the heritage line is obvious when you visit.
The Pullman Dining Train really is a treat for all the senses. Leave the stresses of modern life behind for a couple of hours and immerse yourself in the charms of the stylish train carriage. You will return not just full of fine food but with a mind full of joyous memories.
