Escape the World Cup Final with the Romance of Steam

For football fans the World Cup Final on Sunday 11th July 2010 will be the most exciting and eagerly awaited day of the year. But many non-football fans are dreading the seemingly wall-to-wall coverage of the match and are seeking ways to escape. The romance of steam is the perfect antidote to “the beautiful game”. So, on Sunday 11th July Tornado will be hauling the ‘Torbay Express’ from Bristol to Paignton and Kingswear and back, with a 4½ hour stop-over in glorious Devon.

The ‘Torbay Express' is the ideal way to avoid the day’s football. The train, consisting of 1960s vintage carriages, offers full silver service dining in Premier Class and at-seat light meals in First Class, as well as its established traditional Devon cream teas. Off-train options include visits to the National Trust’s Greenway House (the former holiday home of Agatha Christie) and the beautiful house and gardens of Coleton Fishacre, as well as a River Dart harbour cruise and a guided walking tour of historic Dartmouth. And not a football in sight.

Tornado  will be hauling the ‘Torbay Express’ from Bristol to Paignton and Kingswear (Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway) and return every Sunday for four weeks from 4th July to 25th July inclusive. The ‘Torbay Express’ is the perfect way to experience the true majesty and romance of steam, whisking its passengers across the flat Somerset levels to Taunton, charging through the Blackdown Hills and down the Exe Valley to Exeter, then alongside the sea-wall from Dawlish Warren to Teignmouth and finally through the delightful wooded estate once owned by Agatha Christie and down into the old riverside terminus station at Kingswear.

Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, commented:  “There can be no more perfect way to escape the World Cup final than to experience the romance of steam with Tornado hauling the ‘Torbay Express” from Bristol to glorious Devon.”

Starting at Brunel's famous Bristol Temple Meads station at 09:15hrs and stopping to pick up passengers at Weston-super-Mare (09:40hrs), Taunton (10:40hrs) and Exeter St David’s (11:15hrs), the ‘Torbay Express'  takes the spectacular coastal route via Dawlish, Torquay and Paignton, then onward via the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway, with stops at both Paignton (12:05hrs) and Kingswear (12:55hrs, for Dartmouth) to set down passengers for an afternoon on the delightful South Devon Riviera. The return train departs Kingswear at 16.45hrs, calling at Paignton (17.15hrs), Exeter St David’s (18:07hrs), Taunton (20:03hrs) and Weston-super-Mare (20.03hrs), arriving at Bristol Temple Meads at 20.38hrs

Prices for travelling on the ‘Torbay Express’ are Standard Class (adult £75.00; junior £65.00), First Class (£109.00) and Premier Dining from Bristol & Weston-super-Mare £175.00. Additionally, a small number of table for two seats in First Class may still be available on certain dates at a supplement of £25 per person and cream teas at £7.50 per person. The 2010 season will see ‘The Torbay Express’ running 25% more trains, starting on Sunday 30th May 2010 and running every Sunday (with a couple of exceptions) until 26th September. The trains are being promoted by Torbay Express Limited and seats can be booked via telephone (01453 834477), Web (www.torbayexpress.co.uk) or email (contact@torbayexpress.co.uk)