DISAPPOINTED railway fans in Warrington have been robbed of the opportunity to see the Flying Scotsman thundering through the town hauling the Northern Belle Pullman train next weekend.

Engineering work which will close part of the track means the two special services – from Carnforth to Crewe during the afternoon and then back to Carnforth from Manchester – have had to be rerouted.

They will now travel north over the Ribbleshead Viaduct on the picturesque Settle-to-Carlisle line before skirting Morecambe Bay on the return journey, A spokesman for Cheshire-based Northern Belle said: “Sadly, we know that lots of people were looking forward to seeing the world’s most famous steam locomotive hauling the Pullman carriages of one of the world’s most luxurious trains.

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“We are disappointed too but unfortunately the matter was out of our hands. At the last minute we had to work out a new path with new timings for part of the route.

“It should still be a great day out for our passengers but obviously disappointing to people in Warrington who had hoped to see the train. We can only apologise for this.”

The rerouting means that Northern Belle’s “Spirit of Travel Lunch” trip from Crewe to Carnforth next Saturday, July 20, will be partly diesel-hauled via Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester and Bolton to Preston where Flying Scotsman will take over.

Then on the return journey, Flying Scotsman will be uncoupled at Preston and wait there to until the evening when it will pull Northern Belle’s “Gala Dinner” train from Manchester to Carnforth.