HDL Blue Belle DEMU railtour
Saturday 17 May 2025

Saturday 17 May 2025: HDL Blue Belle DEMU railtour

For our third railtour of the year we’re visiting the preserved Bluebell Railway in West Sussex.

We will pick up passengers at our usual stops from Hastings to Tonbridge, and then at London Victoria (reduced fares apply). After calling at East Grinstead (National Rail station), our train will work forward onto the preserved Bluebell Railway and run to Sheffield Park, where it will stable until the return trip.

Bluebell Railway staff will board our train at East Grinstead, to offer discounted tickets at £20 for those HDL passengers wishing to buy Rover tickets for travel on the Bluebell’s own trains during our visit.

Facilities and refreshments

We will be bringing our 6-coach DEMU, unit number 1013.

Our Buffet car will be open all day for the sale of hot & cold food and drink at reason­able prices.

A trolley service of hot & cold drinks and refreshments will operate in Standard Class.

In First Class an inclusive at-table service of drinks and light refreshments is offered through the day, with sandwiches at lunchtime and cheese & wine in the late afternoon.

Fares

Standard Class fares	seat in trailer coach (Buffet/C/D)	£75	£59 from London Victoria
	bay of 4 seats in trailer coach (Buffet/C/D)	£280	£220 from London Victoria
	seat in motor coach (E)	£82	£66 from London Victoria
First Class fares	seat in trailer coach (B)	£102	£86 from London Victoria
	seat in motor coach (A)	£109	£93 from London Victoria

Route and Timings

This 229-mile trip picks up at our usual stations from Hastings to Tonbridge as shown below. Originally we were to run via Orpington, Lewisham and Denmark Hill but the Battersea Reversible line outside London Victoria will be blocked, so we have had to be routed via Redhill both ways. This gets us to our final pickup point of London Victoria, where we reverse direction and return via Selhurst to South Croydon, turning off for Oxted, East Grinstead and the Bluebell Railway.

Finalised Timings

Station	Outward journey (read down)		Return journey (read up)
Hastings	depart	07 02	return	21 12
St. Leonards Warrior Square	depart	07 07	return	21 07
West St. Leonards	depart	07 12	return	21 01
Crowhurst	depart	07 21	return	20 55
Battle	depart	07 28	return	20 49
Etchingham	depart	07 41	return	20 37
Tunbridge Wells	depart	08 02	return	20 16
Tonbridge	depart	08 25	return	19 51
London Victoria (reverse)	depart	10 01	return	18 13
East Grinstead (National Rail)	arrive	10 56	depart	17 25
Sheffield Park (Bluebell Railway)	arrive	11 45	depart	16 20

Finalised timings have been published. Compared to our original estimates, the outward journey’s times are virtually identical; on the return leg, times are between 0 and 54 minutes later than those previously indicated.

This page and the leaflet has been updated to show the finalised timings. To avoid any confusion, please ensure that you check these finalised timings prior to arranging your itinerary.

Booking

Booking is now a simple 3-step process:

1. Please check our Seat Availability Guide.

2. Fill in our new online booking form right here in your web browser.

3. Make payment — either via Faster Payments in your online banking, or by cheque; directions for both are given in the booking form

The previous methods of booking which rely on the PDF leaflet are still available, should you wish.