The Railway Touring Company
The Atlantic Coast Express
Steam day trip from London to Exeter on the Merchant Navy Class locomotive
1 dayfrom $181
100% rail
The Railway Touring Company · Steam rail day trip
The Sussex Belle
Steam-hauled day trip from London to the Sussex coast and back
The Railway Touring Company operates The Sussex Belle, a one-day steam excursion that departs London Victoria mid-morning and travels south across the Weald and the chalk downlands to the Sussex coast. The train is hauled by No. 34028 Eddystone, a heritage steam locomotive. En route, you pass through East Croydon, Redhill, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, and Haywards Heath, then branch south to reach Eastbourne, where the train stops beneath Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain. You have time for lunch and sightseeing before the train reverses direction and heads east to Hastings, passing through Royal Tunbridge Wells and the junction at Robertsbridge. The return journey retraces the route to London. Meals are included according to your class: Standard Class is a reserved seat; First Class adds morning refreshments and afternoon tea service; Premier Dining includes a multi-course lunch served at your seat. This trip suits repeat rail travellers, food-and-wine enthusiasts, and couples who can book a guaranteed table for two.
What to know before you look closer
- Only one departure published: April 2026. Confirm availability and book well in advance.
- Standard Class seats are reserved but typically shared tables for four; a guaranteed table for two requires Premier Dining or First Class tier.
Day by day
- Day 1rail
The Sussex Belle
Our day out begins when our train leaves London Victoria station mid-morning, hauled by iconic No. 34028 Eddystone steam locomotive. We journey south along the main line towards Brighton passing through East Croydon, Redhill, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges and Haywards Heath. The route crosses the Weald, an ancient area of woodland scattered with farms and villages. We leave the Brighton line at Keymer Junction, just after Wivesfield, and head south-eastwards through Cooksbridge to Lewes. Here we join the East Coastway Line that runs from Brighton to Eastbourne, Hastings and Ashford, passing through the South Downs, an area of rolling chalk downland. We head to Eastbourne where our steam locomotive will be serviced and there will be time to visit this popular South Coast seaside town, with its Victorian hotels, pier and bandstand, situated immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain. We leave Eastbourne, diesel-hauled, and head along the Sussex Coast through Normans Bay, Cooden Beach, and Bexhill to Hastings, which can claim fame through its connection with the Norman Conquest of England and as the birthplace of television pioneer John Logie Baird. Our train reverses direction of travel at Hastings and leaves with the steam locomotive in charge. We continue north through Crowhurst and Battle, and then through Mountfield Tunnel. Robertsbridge station was formerly a junction station with the Colonel Stephens' famous old Kent and East Sussex Light Railway. We pass through Royal Tunbridge Wells, a spa town on the northern edge of the High Weald. At Sevenoaks, we take the line through Bat and Ball station, and join the line from Ashford at Otford, and the Chatham Main Line at Swanley. Our day trip ends when we arrive back at London Victoria in the early evening.
The moments this trip is built around
- Day 1The train departs London Victoria mid-morning hauled by No. 34028 Eddystone, a steam locomotive, crossing the Weald toward the Sussex coast
- Day 1Stop at Eastbourne beneath Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain, for lunch and sightseeing
Questions travellers ask
- Is train travel included in the price?
- Yes. The Sussex Belle is an all-inclusive day trip; the price covers the round-trip journey and meals according to your ticket class.
- What meals are included?
- Standard Class includes a reserved seat only. First Class includes morning tea or coffee with a breakfast roll and muffin, plus afternoon tea with a savoury and a scone. Premier Dining includes Buck's Fizz, morning tea or coffee with Danish pastries, and a four-course lunch silver served at your seat.
- Which steam locomotive hauls the train?
- No. 34028 Eddystone, a heritage steam locomotive.
- When does the trip run?
- The Railway Touring Company has published one departure in April 2026.
- Can I book a table for two?
- Yes, a guaranteed table for two is available as an optional extra on Premier Dining or First Class tickets.
