The Flying Scotsman will be completing a number of special trips across the UK as part of its 100th anniversary in 2023.
Most famous for its daily rail service between London and Edinburgh, the locomotive was constructed in 1923. Celebrating its long and storied history, the public will be able to ride the iconic train this year as it completes day trips around the country.
Among the routes included are the Portsmouth Flyer, which will journey from London Victoria to Portsmouth, and the Great Yarmouth Flyer from London King's Cross through the rural landscapes of the Fens and Norfolk.
The highlight of the programme, however, is the Flying Scotsman Centenary Weekender from June 30 to July 4, a weekend tour from London to Edinburgh via York. Included in the Standard Class price is a one-night stay in a York hotel and three nights in an Edinburgh hotel.
If you can afford Premier Class, you will also receive five breakfasts and four lunches, as well as reserved seating in First Class coaches. Tickets can be purchased from The Railway Touring Company website.
As part of the centenary, there will also be exhibitions celebrating the history of the iconic locomotive, as well as a special Centenary Festival. This will include hands-on activities and drop-in workshops, and will be held at the Locomotion railway museum in Shildon.
Flying Scotsman 2023 programme
- The Royal Duchy, Sunday, April 30: Bristol to Plymouth
- The Cardiff Express, Wednesday, June 7: London to Cardiff
- The Cheshireman, Saturday, June 10: London to Chester
- The Portsmouth Flyer, Saturday, June 17: London to Portsmouth
- The Salisbury Express, Wednesday, June 21: London to Salisbury
- The Great Yarmouth Flyer, Saturday, June 24: London to Great Yarmouth
- The Flying Scotsman Centenary Weekender, Friday 30th June to Tuesday 4th July: London to Edinburgh tour
- The Waverley, Sunday, July 9: York to Carlisle
- The Waverley, Sunday, August 6: York to Carlisle
- The Waverley, Sunday, September 10: York to Carlisle
- The Hadrian, Saturday 14th October: Derby to Carlisle
More information about the full Flying Scotsman centenary programme can be found on the Railway Museum website.
History of the Flying Scotsman
The Flying Scotsman is considered the most famous locomotive in the world and became the first in the UK to reach 100mph in 1934.
It was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and was built in Doncaster in 1923 as part of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway (LNER).
A year later, it was given the title Flying Scotsman due to the daily 10am London to Edinburgh rail service. It was chosen to appear at the British Empire Exhibition in London, which is what made the locomotive a household name.
While it is famous for its green colour, during the Second World War the Flying Scotsman was actually painted black. Following the war, it remained in service until 1963, when it was retired by British Rail.
After this, British businessman Alan Pegler purchased the Flying Scotsman. In 1969, the train travelled over to the United States as part of a publicity tour.
The tour was ultimately a financial failure, forcing Pegler into bankruptcy and leaving the locomotive stuck in the US. Fortunately in 1973, the Flying Scotsman was purchased by fellow businessman Sir William Hepburn McAlpine and returned home.
In the following years, the train completed successful tours around the UK, and even one in Australia. However, in 2004, the Flying Scotsman once again found itself in peril regarding its ownership—though was saved by the National Railway Museum amid a public campaign.
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