Northern Belle train: Luxurious train featured on Channel 5’s World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys to call at UK stations next month - dates and how to book

One of the UK's most luxurious trains is set to pull into three stations in the UK next month. The Northern Belle, one of Britain’s poshest trains, includes a carriage from the late Queen’s Royal Train and is set to depart from Darlington on a royal-themed excursion later this summer.

The Northern Belle, once part of the Orient Express group, will stop in Darlington, Durham, and Newcastle Central Station on the way to Dundee. On Thursday, May 9, passengers will board the 1930's Pullman style train via a red carpet at Darlington Station at 6.40am, before calling at Durham at 7.20am and Newcastle at 7.50am. Passengers are expected to dress up to the nines, with jeans and trainers banned on the train.

Passengers who make the journey will be able to visit the former Queen Mother's ancestral home at Glamis Castle, or Scone Palace, where more than 40 Scottish kings were crowned. When passengers are aboard they will be served a hearty three-course breakfast fit for a king and queen while they take in the sights of the east coast mainline.

On the journey home, there will be another champagne reception aboard the train before a lavish six-course dinner with wine and port is served. A spokesperson for the Northern Belle said: "It may be a little old fashioned, but we like to think a day out on the Northern Belle is a special occasion, and so we believe that our guests should dress accordingly."

The train has been described by Bill Nighy on Channel 5's The World's Most Scenic Railway Journeys as the "grand dame of luxury travel". The train will be back  in August for a steam-hauled journey over the spectacular Settle-Carlisle line. There will also be further trips to Edinburgh and a special Afternoon Tea and Lunch trip later in the year.

The Northern Belle’s journey over the Settle-Carlisle line previously featured on Channel 5’s The World’s Most Scenic Railway Journeys programme. The 72-mile Settle to Carlisle line cuts through the northern Pennines and Yorkshire Dales, and was a triumph of Victorian engineering and architecture when it opened in the 19th century. Upcoming dates for the Northern Belle tour coming to Carlisle include April 13, April 20, April 27, May 25, June 8 and June 15.

Fares for the upcoming Northern Belle  trip start at £295. For more details and to book, see www.northernbelle.co.uk.