Comedy Night

Jam packed full of laughter and song, our Comedy evenings are expertly scripted and acted out by the award winning After Dark Entertainment.

Watch your on-screen favourites come to life while you indulge in fine cuisine accompanied by continuous mayhem, action, and barrels of laughs! Our luxurious pullman-style carriages provide the elegant setting to your evening while our iconic steam locomotive hauls you along on your evening.

Expect a sparkling welcome drink upon boarding and a sumptuous three course meal followed by coffee and after dinner chocolate. With your own personal waiter/waitress for the evening you can relax knowing every aspect of your experience will be catered for to the highest standards.

Welcome commences at 6.15pm from where you will be directed to the opening scene with a prompt start time of 6:30pm. You will be advised of your table number and carriage upon arrival. The journey lasts just under 3 hours with a return time of 10:15pm.

The dress code is smart/casual however we do encourage dressing in relation to the theme.

‘Fallen Madonna, Rene’s sausage and the Gestapo. What could go wrong?

‘Allo! ‘Allo! This is nighthawk calling! Listen very carefully, we shall say this only once!

Renѐ was hoping for a quiet night in his humble little café in Nouvion, but things aren’t quite going according to plan. The Resistance wants to use his back passage to hide a special sausage, The Gestapo are planning a secret meeting, and everyone is looking for the Fallen Madonna with the big…. Well, you get the gist! To top it all off Edith has decided to raise everyone’s spirits with a song. Join Renѐ and the rest of the ‘Allo! ‘Allo! gang as they become embroiled in all kinds of hilarious hijinks and crazy capers in order to get through the night.

It’s a comedy dining experience like no other. ‘It’s a very fanny shoe. Don’t Moss It!’ As Officer Crabtree would say.

Tickets for 2025 now on-sale!

Please note: when making your booking, dietary requirements of Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten Free/Pescatarian/Halal/Dairy Free/Diabetic can be selected from the ticket option menu using drop down selection button. Tickets are priced at £93.50pp and are for over 18’s only. Price includes train fare.

If you have further dietary requirements, please contact us in advance of booking at dwd@eastlancsrailway.co.uk

Dining With Distinction

Tickets for 2025 now on-sale!

Our Comedy Dining trains run on selected evenings. The evening starts at Bury Bolton Street Station at 6:30pm and finishes at approximately 10.15pm. Priced at £93.50 per head.

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FAQs

Where does the Dining Train depart from?

The Dining Train departs from, and returns to, Bury Bolton Street Station (BL9 0EY).

Will our service be steam hauled?

Every effort will be made to ensure that steam locomotives haul our dining services. However, should a steam locomotive be unavailable, the East Lancashire Railway reserves the right to substitute a diesel locomotive without prior notice. We reserve the right to suspend, reschedule or cancel services if operational circumstances or safety make this necessary.

My tickets don't have any details of which table I will be dining at?

We do not guarantee that the seats you book will be the seats you are given on the day. This is because our Dining Train Manager may have to move passengers around to allow us to accommodate those with limited mobility or large groups. However, we do guarantee those booked on a table for two, will be seated on a table for two. Those booked on a table for four, will be seated on a table for four. If you have booked two seats on a table of four, you will be seated next to each other, allowing both parties on the table to benefit from a window seat.

Please advise us if you have booked specific seats due to mobility or have arranged to be seated next to a booking under a different name.

Are children allowed on the diner?

Our evening diners are for ages 16+ (18+ on Tasters, Comedy and Premium), but children are most welcome on our day time diners, which include our Traditional ‘midweek’ Luncheons, Lancastrian Lunches and Festive Lunches (excludes Afternoon Teas). Child tickets are for children aged 3 to 12. A child under three can attend free of charge but they will not receive a meal or seat. They must be seated on an adult’s knee, as we cannot provide highchairs due to the layout of the carriages.

Can I bring my own drinks on-board?

The East Lancashire Railway has a selection of reasonably priced drinks on board.

You can bring bottled wine or champagne on board, but there will be a corkage fee of £10.00 per bottle.

Is the Dining Train wheelchair accessible?

All of our Diners depart from Bury Bolton Street Station which has step free access to the platforms. However, we regret that our 1950’s coaches are unable to accommodate wheelchair passengers. We can provide a small ramp during boarding to aid those with limited mobility, but passengers will be required to walk to their seats. Please let us know when making your booking that you require priority seating near the door.

What is the reception drink on board and can I change it?

It is a sparkling Perry, 7.5% alc and can be changed for a fresh orange juice upon request.

Can I bring my dog on board?

No, dogs are not permitted on board, unless it is an assistance dog, which you will need to notify us about beforehand.

What is the dress code?

Premium nights are black tie events. We encourage fancy dress for our Murder Mystery and Comedy themed dining trains. For all other evening dining experiences the dress code is Smart/Smart-Casual. For our Lancastrian Lunches the dress code is Smart-Casual, and for our Traditional (midweek) Luncheons and Afternoon Teas, the dress code is Casual.

We are celebrating a special occasion, what can we do to make it special?

Please let us know in advance so we can ensure our staff are aware of the occasion. You can also choose to purchase some of our dining add-ons which include champagne. These can be bought up to 7 days before the date of your experience.

Can I smoke on board?

No, E-Cigs and cigarettes are not permitted on board.

I cannot eat the set menu, is there an alternative?
  • We cater for a range of dietary requirements including Vegetarian, Pescetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Diabetic and Halal (This will be a roast chicken breast.)
  • We also offer the option to select an alternative starter of Melon on all applicable dining experiences (excludes Mid-Week Luncheons and Afternoon Teas) and an alternative dessert of Fruit Salad or Cheese and Biscuits (Excludes Afternoon Teas.)
  • Vegetarian/Pescetarian – Starters will be as per the standard set menu unless unsuitable, in which case the advertised Vegetarian starter will be provided.
  • All dietary requirements must be selected at the time of booking, or emailed to dwd@eastlancsrailway.co.uk no later than 7 days before the date of travel.
  • Please note, regretfully we are unable to cater for diabetic, lactose free, dairy free, vegan or pescetarian options on our afternoon tea services.
I need to cancel or rearrange my booking?

In-date Vouchers can be refunded in full, up to a month after the date of purchase, to the person who made the original booking only.

  • Any bookings cancelled OVER 3 weeks before the date of the booked event – 100% refund (minus original booking fee) to original payment method.
  • Any bookings cancelled between 1 week and 3 weeks before the booked event – 100% refund via gift voucher or 75% refund to original payment method (minus original booking fee).
  • Any bookings less than a week but more than 3 days before the booked event – 50% refund via gift voucher (minus original booking fee)

Bookings cancelled less than 3 days prior to the event will not be entitled to any refund.

Refunds may take up to 28 days to process.

Has the East Lancashire Railway been affected by rising costs?

The simple answer is ‘yes’ and unfortunately these costs have to be passed on. The cost to run a steam locomotive has risen considerably. This is primarily due to the volatility of coal supply – in terms of cost and availability. On the dining train set, a Diesel generator is used for power and heating, and it is no longer permitted to use tax-free fuel for this purpose. In addition, the ELR is facing significant increases in catering cost provision which directly affects the dining operation.

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