A historic Pullman train will arrive at Chester for Ladies Day (May 10) next month carrying 300 champagne-sipping racegoers.

Passengers aboard the plush Northern Belle will have shelled out £500 per head to travel in total luxury.

The train, with its vintage loco, seven ornately-decorated carriages and liveried stewards, recaptures a bygone era of rail travel at its most glamorous.

The beautiful Northern Belle

VIP guests will board along red carpets at London Euston, Watford Junction and Birmingham International stations, before being served a Bellini cocktail and three-course brunch on the journey north.

Then after spending the afternoon in the racecourse’s Winning Post Enclosure, followed by a champagne reception, they will tuck into a seven-course gourmet dinner on the return journey.

Despite tickets costing £495, a recent Northern Belle excursion to Aintree for the Grand National was a sell-out. Many of the male passengers wore top hats and tails, while most women sported hats or fascinators. And organisers expect the same for the Chester trip on Thursday, May 10.

Travellers aboard the Northern Belle are wined, dined and entertained.

A spokesman said: “Places are booking up fast and our guests usually dress to impress. In return they can expect glamour, fun and a dash of adventure aboard our luxury train.

“Those who win at the races will be able to celebrate in style on the way home – while those who haven’t can drown their sorrows with fine champagne. So in a way, nobody loses!”

The beautiful Northern Belle

Later in the summer, the Northern Belle will run the other way, taking racegoers from Manchester, Crewe and Birmingham south to the Epsom Derby on June 2 and Ladies Day at Royal Ascot on June 21.

There will be other excursions from Chester, including a Great British Sunday Lunch trip, where passengers will be entertained by strolling musicians and a magician while they tuck into a five-course meal, and a seven-course Christmas Lunch trip in December.

For more details, visit northernbelle.co.uk.