New luxury sleeper train set to travel through Somerset in 2025

A new luxury sleeper train is set to travel through Somerset in 2025 as part of one of its first journeys.

The Britannic Explorer is a five-star silver service sleeper train which will be launched and operated by Belmond.

Journeys will depart from London and include three and six night trips to locations such as Cornwall, Wales and the Lake District.

The Belmond website says: “See Britain through new eyes aboard the first ever luxury sleeper train in England and Wales.

“Paying homage to the Great British tradition of touring, the Britannic Explorer celebrates the art of slow travel, preserving Britain’s pioneering railway history while ushering in a new era of culture and creativity.”

Features of the train include a wellness suite, two dining cars as well as an observation car & bar.

Overall, there are 18 cabins on board where “luxurious touches and space-enhancing features abound”.

Gary Franklin, Belmond’s vice president of Trains and Cruises, said: “I am incredibly proud to launch this revolutionary new train, which further enhances Belmond’s global portfolio of market-leading luxury rail experiences.

“The Britannic Explorer offers something truly unique; an opportunity to discover the rugged Cornish coastline to Snowdonia’s untamed National Park and the vast expanses of the Lake District like never before.”

What journeys on the Britannic Explorer include Somerset?

The Britannic Explorer will travel through and stop in Somerset on its journeys into Cornwall.

As explained on its website, the three-day Cornwall trip “glides through the North Wessex Downs and Somerset’s storied market towns” on day one.

It continues: “By twilight, you’ll arrive at the West Somerset Railway, a heritage track offering spectacular countryside and coastal vistas.”

After exploring Cornwall, the train will return to Somerset on its way home, stopping off at the “enchanting town of Bruton”.

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It adds: “Here, an after-hours private tour of the esteemed Hauser & Wirth gallery awaits, complete with a champagne reception in the gallery’s idyllic gardens.

“The day culminates in a private black-tie gala dinner at Da Costa, Hauser & Wirth’s celebrated Italian restaurant – a true celebration of fine dining.

“As the evening draws to a close, the train rests peacefully on the serene East Somerset Railway, promising a night of undisturbed tranquillity.”