Manchester to Hull

Ride in the cab of a Transpennine Express Class 185 from Manchester Piccadilly to Hull and witness a journey through The Industrial Revolution. With full commentary throughout, this is an exciting opportunity to experience what the driver sees while hearing about the history of the railway companies which created the lines.

This is a trip of two halves. Starting from platform 1 at Manchester’s Piccadilly Station we head off through the river valleys of north-west England in search of a route through the Pennines. Much of the path we take had already been mapped out and used by those who had built the canals in the previous century, and they’re a presence close-by for most of the journey.

When we can’t go around the hills we’ll burrow through them, and there are two major tunnels for us to enjoy along the way at Standedge and Morley. Standedge is one of the longest railway tunnels of its kind in Britain, and the route we follow is just one of four bores through this landscape. There are two other railway tunnels and one which carries the Huddersfield Narrow Canal hundreds of feet beneath the surface.

From Leeds onwards the countryside changes, the flat, open landscape of East Yorkshire allowing the planners of the Hull & Selby Railway to drive a track straight as an arrow for 20 miles. As we approach Hull the waters of the Humber are within a stone’s throw, and we can enjoy the majestic sight of the gracefully sculpted Humber Bridge.

Choose to listen to the well researched commentary telling the history of these railways and describing the highlights along the way, or turn it off to concentrate on the scenery and the sounds of the Class 185. Manchester to Hull is a journey to savour.