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.
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.
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!”
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.