TERMS & CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL
THE LAKES EXPRESS 2025
General Conditions
Steam Dreams will use its best efforts to ensure that the proposed locomotives, coaching stock, route and times, all of which are dependent on third parties, run as advertised but we reserve the right to amend or cancel any part of the tour at any time. Steam Dreams cannot accept any responsibility for the action of third parties and strongly recommends that all passengers take out travel/cancellation insurance. Charges apply should passengers need to cancel or postpone their trip for whatever reason, whether their plans change due to ill-health, travel issues or weather conditions. To avoid disappointment or unnecessary expense, passengers are advised not to pre-book transport links or accommodation, unless the costs associated with cancelling these arrangements are covered by the passengers’ own insurance, as Steam Dreams cannot be held liable for additional costs incurred in passengers’ travel plans.
Timings
Final timings and platform numbers are confirmed by Network Rail leading up to each trip, advertised times in brochures and online are best estimates. Steam Dreams will use its best endeavours to ensure the boarding/alighting stations listed in its brochure and website are those which are used on the day. Occasionally it is not possible for Network Rail’s final timings to include one or more of the stations we have requested. In these circumstances, Steam Dreams will take responsibility for arranging travel at no additional cost to/from passenger’s chosen boarding/alighting station to an alternative station where the train stops (usually by service train or road coach).
Steam Availability
Steam Dreams will use its best efforts to provide steam traction on trips rostered for steam haulage, for the sector(s) advertised as such, but this cannot be guaranteed. On occasion, a diesel or electric locomotive may be substituted, mainly due to fire risk, drought, route restrictions or locomotive failure. All steam locomotives are subject to a Fitness to Run (FTR) exam 24 hours prior to running on the main line, which means it is sometimes necessary for a heritage diesel or electric substitute to be made at the last minute. On some tours it may be necessary for a part of the journey to be diesel or electric hauled; where possible this will be made clear at the time of booking but it may be necessary for changes to be made at a later stage for operational reasons.
Diesel or Electric Assistance
On steam hauled trips, a heritage diesel or electric engine may be included in the train in addition to the steam locomotive and at times be required to provide assistance.
Traveller Mobility and Storage Onboard
Due to the age and construction of our train it is not possible to board whilst seated in a wheelchair; however, we will be pleased to convey disabled passengers whenever possible provided they can step onto the train from the platform and move to their reserved seats with the help of an able-bodied carer who is also travelling in their party, the wheelchair then being folded by you and stored at the end of the carriage. Our staff are regrettably unable to assist. Some of the platforms on our tours are much shorter than our train which may necessitate walking through several carriages when boarding or alighting. Passengers booked on optional excursions must be able to board a road coach and walk up to 500 yards. Some excursion venues may not feature step free access and passengers may be required to walk up several flights of steps. Wheelchairs, walking frames to be stored onboard for use off the train must be of the fold-up variety. We are unable to convey motorised scooters, buggies or electric wheelchairs at any time. It is very important that any mobility requirements with regards to the train or hotels are advised at the time of booking as we are unable to guarantee that we will be able to accommodate them if advised at a later date.
Dining on board
We endeavour to ensure the delivery of the dining service for each class as listed in our publicity material and on our website. On-board services are dependent on our train timetable, giving consideration to departure time, booked stops and final timings provided by the rail network, which may alter the service we can provide. Should this be the case, we will advise you in advance of your trip with us. Steam Dreams will endeavor to cater for dietary requirements when given prior notice at the time of booking, but cannot guarantee that all our food will be totally free of specific allergens (such as nut, garlic or gluten) as it is prepared and cooked in kitchens where traces of allergens may be found. For those who have dietary requirements and have not advised 14 days prior to travel we are unable to guarantee that your requirements will be catered for. Due to the confined space in the vintage carriages we do not have the capacity to carry large stocks on board.
Conditions of Carriage
During the trip passengers are required to observe the conditions of carriage listed below;
- Passengers must observe all instructions provided to them either in writing or verbally by staff or volunteers from Steam Dreams, Network Rail or any Train Operating Company prior to or during the journey.
- Passengers shall not hinder the safe operation of the train or the railway in any way.
- Passengers shall not smoke on-board the train or at stations; this includes the use of e-cigarettes.
- Passengers shall not be verbally or physically abusive to staff or other passengers.
In the event that these conditions are breached Steam Dreams reserves the right to remove the offending passenger(s) from the train. In the event of passengers being removed from the train for breaking these conditions no refund or compensation shall be offered. In addition to the above conditions of carriage all journeys on the railway are also subject to the Railway Byelaws.
PAYMENTS
Customer Payments
All online bookings may be paid for by debit or credit cards. Other payment methods including paying by bank transfer. Cleared funds must be received at least 14 days prior to payment deadline.
Outstanding balances should be paid in full by the date shown on your invoice to ensure your booking is not cancelled. If you have not yet paid the full amount, please contact the Booking Office on 01483 209888 before this date to make your payment.
Vouchers
In the event of a customer cancellation, the charges in the cancellation/transfer conditions stated below will apply. Vouchers are non-refundable. In the event of a booking paid for by voucher being cancelled by Steam Dreams, or the customer, the remaining value, after any charges, may only be transferred into a new Steam Dreams voucher valid for one year.
Discounts & Credit Notes
Discounts and credit notes must be redeemed through the Booking Office by telephone and may only be used against bookings made after the date of issue and cannot be retrospectively added to any previous bookings. In the event of a customer cancellation, any discount or credit note will not be reinstated for future use. In the event of cancellation by Steam Dreams any discounts or credit notes issued as a form of compensation will be reinstated with one additional year for use; all other discounts and credit notes will be considered null and void.
Customer Cancellation
Should the customer choose to cancel their booked holiday, the following charges will apply:
- Cancellations prior to 1st March 2025 – 25% fee (loss of deposit)
- Cancellations after 1st March 2025 – 50% fee (loss of deposit paid)
- After 1st June 2025 – 100% fee
Customer Insurance
We strongly recommend that you arrange for a suitable travel insurance covering all eventualities.
Customer Transfers
Customer transfers will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Payment Schedule for The Lakes Express Holiday
|
Bookings made between
27th September 2024
29th February 2025
|
Bookings made after
1st March 2025
|
Bookings made after
1st June 2025 |
| 25% deposit payable upon booking
Further 25% due 1st March 2025
Final balance due 1st June 2024
|
50% deposit payable upon booking
Final balance due 1st June 2025 |
Full balance payable upon booking |
Customer Booking Amendments
Steam Dreams does not charge for changes of passenger name, catering requirements, boarding or alighting point or other alterations which make no changes to booking value. Should the customer choose to amend their booking to a higher priced ticket, add additional passengers or optional extras no additional fee will be levied, beyond the revised cost of the booking.
Should the customer choose to change their class of travel, destination, boarding point or otherwise change to a lower priced ticket the above fees for customer transfers would apply. Should the customer choose to cancel one or more seats or optional extras on a booking the above fees for customer cancellation apply.
Steam Dreams Cancellation
Should Steam Dreams cancel a tour in its entirety for any reason before the start of the journey, customers may be offered the opportunity to transfer to an alternative trip or receive a full refund. Any payments by voucher, discount or credit note are subject to the restrictions detailed in the appropriate above sections. Cancellation may occur at any time for a variety of reasons including but not limited to locomotive availability, crew availability, pathing, adverse weather and engineering works.
Steam Dreams cannot accept any liability for additional costs incurred due to cancellation.
Industrial Action – If we cannot run a trip due to industrial action passengers will be offered the opportunity to transfer their booking, take a voucher or a refund. Unless industrial action prevents us from running a trip it is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure they reach the train in time for the scheduled departure. No compensation would be offered for a missed trip.
Children – In the interests of other customers our holidays are not considered a suitable experience for children under the age of 16 years and we are therefore unable to accept bookings for such.
Dress Code (Pullman Dining) – Smart Casual attire should be considered as only the minimum suitable requirement, by avoiding clothing such as ripped denims, baseball caps, sports trainers, collarless or sleeveless T-shirts and shorts. We reserve the right to ask guests not suitably attired to change before boarding.
Train Timings – The departure/arrival times shown in any publication or website are ‘provisional’ being an approximation based on the best information we had when the tour was first planned, however you should be aware that these can vary considerably when the confirmed timings are received from Network Rail and we are unable to offer a cancellation or transfer due to the confirmed timings being different to provisional ones previously advised.
Covid – We will operate within any government guidelines set at the time of travel.
Important Information – All details about our tours are offered in good faith and whilst we endeavour to run our tours to the proposed routes, timings, rolling stock, locomotives, itineraries, station stops and options in place, we reserve the right to alter these at any time and shall not incur any liability to any person who has bought, or contracted to buy a ticket, or tickets as a result of any such changes.
Force Majeure – Except where otherwise expressly stated in these Conditions we will not be liable or pay you any refund or compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by any event which we or the supplier(s) of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. These events can include, but are not limited to, war, threat of war, civil strife, terrorist activity and its consequences or the threat of such activity, riot, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster, adverse weather, sea, air, ice and river conditions and all similar events outside our or the supplier(s) concerned control.
Copyright – The copyright of material used on our website and publications belongs to ‘Steam Dreams Rail Co. Ltd’’, all rights reserved. Except solely for your own personal and non-commercial use, no part of our website or publications may be copied, adapted, modified, distributed, transmitted, displayed, performed, reproduced or published without the prior written permission of ‘’. Any prohibited and unlawful use of material on our website or publications will result in legal action.
Conditions of Carriage – All our trains are operated by Locomotive Services (TOC) Limited, the conditions of carriage for which can be found at www.lsltoc.co.uk
Customer Feedback – We welcome all feedback from our passengers and use it as a means to constantly review and improve our service.
During your time with us, if we can make your experience better in any way, please give us the opportunity to do this on the day via the on-board Train Manager. We will do our best to rectify wherever possible and within our control. We will not take into consideration any complaints received retrospectively which are relating to issues not raised at the time, that could have been resolved during the day of travel.
Terms & Conditions updated 11.11.2024 and supersede any previous Terms & Conditions provided by the company.
TERMS & CONDITIONS OF TRAVEL
LONDON TO EDINBURGH CHRISTMAS MARKET
General Conditions
Steam Dreams will use its best efforts to ensure that the proposed locomotives, coaching stock, route and times, all of which are dependent on third parties, run as advertised but we reserve the right to amend or cancel any part of the tour at any time. Steam Dreams cannot accept any responsibility for the action of third parties and strongly recommends that all passengers take out travel/cancellation insurance. Charges apply should passengers need to cancel or postpone their trip for whatever reason, whether their plans change due to ill-health, travel issues or weather conditions. To avoid disappointment or unnecessary expense, passengers are advised not to pre-book transport links or accommodation, unless the costs associated with cancelling these arrangements are covered by the passengers’ own insurance, as Steam Dreams cannot be held liable for additional costs incurred in passengers’ travel plans.
Timings
Final timings and platform numbers are confirmed by Network Rail leading up to each trip, advertised times in brochures and online are best estimates. Steam Dreams will use its best endeavors to ensure the boarding/alighting stations listed in its brochure and website are those which are used on the day. Occasionally it is not possible for Network Rail’s final timings to include one or more of the stations we have requested. In these circumstances, Steam Dreams will take responsibility for arranging travel at no additional cost to/from passenger’s chosen boarding/alighting station to an alternative station where the train stops (usually by service train or road coach).
Steam Availability
Steam Dreams will use its best efforts to provide steam traction on trips rostered for steam haulage, for the sector(s) advertised as such, but this cannot be guaranteed. On occasion, a diesel or electric locomotive may be substituted, mainly due to fire risk, drought, route restrictions or locomotive failure. All steam locomotives are subject to a Fitness to Run (FTR) exam 24 hours prior to running on the main line, which means it is sometimes necessary for a heritage diesel or electric substitute to be made at the last minute. On some tours it may be necessary for a part of the journey to be diesel or electric hauled; where possible this will be made clear at the time of booking but it may be necessary for changes to be made at a later stage for operational reasons.
Diesel or Electric Assistance
On steam hauled trips, a heritage diesel or electric engine may be included in the train in addition to the steam locomotive and at times be required to provide assistance.
Traveller Mobility and Storage Onboard
Due to the age and construction of our train it is not possible to board whilst seated in a wheelchair; however, we will be pleased to convey disabled passengers whenever possible provided they can step onto the train from the platform and move to their reserved seats with the help of an able-bodied carer who is also travelling in their party, the wheelchair then being folded by you and stored at the end of the carriage. Our staff are regrettably unable to assist. Some of the platforms on our tours are much shorter than our train which may necessitate walking through several carriages when boarding or alighting. Passengers booked on optional excursions must be able to board a road coach and walk up to 500 yards. Some excursion venues may not feature step free access and passengers may be required to walk up several flights of steps. Wheelchairs, walking frames to be stored onboard for use off the train must be of the fold-up variety. We are unable to convey motorised scooters, buggies or electric wheelchairs at any time. It is very important that any mobility requirements with regards to the train or hotels are advised at the time of booking as we are unable to guarantee that we will be able to accommodate them if advised at a later date.
Dining on board
We endeavour to ensure the delivery of the dining service for each class as listed in our publicity material and on our website. On-board services are dependent on our train timetable, giving consideration to departure time, booked stops and final timings provided by the rail network, which may alter the service we can provide. Should this be the case, we will advise you in advance of your trip with us. Steam Dreams will endeavour to cater for dietary requirements when given prior notice at the time of booking, but cannot guarantee that all our food will be totally free of specific allergens (such as nut, garlic or gluten) as it is prepared and cooked in kitchens where traces of allergens may be found. For those who have dietary requirements and have not advised 14 days prior to travel we are unable to guarantee that your requirements will be catered for. Due to the confined space in the vintage carriages we do not have the capacity to carry large stocks on board.
Conditions of Carriage
During the trip passengers are required to observe the conditions of carriage listed below;
- Passengers must observe all instructions provided to them either in writing or verbally by staff or volunteers from Steam Dreams, Network Rail or any Train Operating Company prior to or during the journey.
- Passengers shall not hinder the safe operation of the train or the railway in any way.
- Passengers shall not smoke on-board the train or at stations; this includes the use of e-cigarettes.
- Passengers shall not be verbally or physically abusive to staff or other passengers.
In the event that these conditions are breached Steam Dreams reserves the right to remove the offending passenger(s) from the train. In the event of passengers being removed from the train for breaking these conditions no refund or compensation shall be offered. In addition to the above conditions of carriage all journeys on the railway are also subject to the Railway Byelaws.
PAYMENTS
Customer Payments
All online bookings may be paid for by debit or credit cards. Other payment methods including paying by bank transfer. Cleared funds must be received at least 14 days prior to payment deadline.
Outstanding balances should be paid in full by the date shown on your invoice to ensure your booking is not cancelled. If you have not yet paid the full amount, please contact the Booking Office on 01483 209888 before this date to make your payment.
Vouchers
In the event of a customer cancellation, the charges in the cancellation/transfer conditions stated below will apply. Vouchers are non-refundable. In the event of a booking paid for by voucher being cancelled by Steam Dreams, or the customer, the remaining value, after any charges, may only be transferred into a new Steam Dreams voucher valid for one year.
Discounts & Credit Notes
Discounts and credit notes must be redeemed through the Booking Office by telephone and may only be used against bookings made after the date of issue and cannot be retrospectively added to any previous bookings. In the event of a customer cancellation, any discount or credit note will not be reinstated for future use. In the event of cancellation by Steam Dreams any discounts or credit notes issued as a form of compensation will be reinstated with one additional year for use; all other discounts and credit notes will be considered null and void.
Customer Cancellation
Should the customer choose to cancel their booked holiday, the following charges will apply:
- Cancellations prior to 31st May 2025 – 25% fee (loss of deposit)
- Cancellations after 31st May 2025 – 50% fee (loss of deposit paid)
- After 31st August 2025 – 100% fee
Customer Insurance
We strongly recommend that you arrange for a suitable travel insurance covering all eventualities.
Customer Transfers
Customer transfers will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Payment Schedule for Edinburgh Christmas Market Holiday
|
Bookings made between
17th November 2024
31st May 2025
|
Bookings made after
31st May 2025
|
Bookings made after
31st August 2025 |
| 25% deposit payable upon booking
Further 25% due 31st May 2025
Final balance due 31st August 2024
|
50% deposit payable upon booking
Final balance due 31st August 2025 |
Full balance payable upon booking |
Customer Booking Amendments
Steam Dreams does not charge for changes of passenger name, catering requirements, boarding or alighting point or other alterations which make no changes to booking value. Should the customer choose to amend their booking to a higher priced ticket, add additional passengers or optional extras no additional fee will be levied, beyond the revised cost of the booking.
Should the customer choose to change their class of travel, destination, boarding point or otherwise change to a lower priced ticket the above fees for customer transfers would apply. Should the customer choose to cancel one or more seats or optional extras on a booking the above fees for customer cancellation apply.
Steam Dreams Cancellation
Should Steam Dreams cancel a tour in its entirety for any reason before the start of the journey, customers may be offered the opportunity to transfer to an alternative trip or receive a full refund. Any payments by voucher, discount or credit note are subject to the restrictions detailed in the appropriate above sections. Cancellation may occur at any time for a variety of reasons including but not limited to locomotive availability, crew availability, pathing, adverse weather and engineering works.
Steam Dreams cannot accept any liability for additional costs incurred due to cancellation.
Industrial Action – If we cannot run a trip due to industrial action passengers will be offered the opportunity to transfer their booking, take a voucher or a refund. Unless industrial action prevents us from running a trip it is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure they reach the train in time for the scheduled departure. No compensation would be offered for a missed trip.
Children – In the interests of other customers our holidays are not considered a suitable experience for children under the age of 16 years and we are therefore unable to accept bookings for such.
Dress Code (Pullman Dining) – Smart Casual attire should be considered as only the minimum suitable requirement, by avoiding clothing such as ripped denims, baseball caps, sports trainers, collarless or sleeveless T-shirts and shorts. We reserve the right to ask guests not suitably attired to change before boarding.
Train Timings – The departure/arrival times shown in any publication or website are ‘provisional’ being an approximation based on the best information we had when the tour was first planned, however you should be aware that these can vary considerably when the confirmed timings are received from Network Rail and we are unable to offer a cancellation or transfer due to the confirmed timings being different to provisional ones previously advised.
Covid – We will operate within any government guidelines set at the time of travel.
Important Information – All details about our tours are offered in good faith and whilst we endeavour to run our tours to the proposed routes, timings, rolling stock, locomotives, itineraries, station stops and options in place, we reserve the right to alter these at any time and shall not incur any liability to any person who has bought, or contracted to buy a ticket, or tickets as a result of any such changes.
Force Majeure – Except where otherwise expressly stated in these Conditions we will not be liable or pay you any refund or compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by any event which we or the supplier(s) of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. These events can include, but are not limited to, war, threat of war, civil strife, terrorist activity and its consequences or the threat of such activity, riot, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster, adverse weather, sea, air, ice and river conditions and all similar events outside our or the supplier(s) concerned control.
Copyright – The copyright of material used on our website and publications belongs to ‘Steam Dreams Rail Co. Ltd’’, all rights reserved. Except solely for your own personal and non-commercial use, no part of our website or publications may be copied, adapted, modified, distributed, transmitted, displayed, performed, reproduced or published without the prior written permission of ‘’. Any prohibited and unlawful use of material on our website or publications will result in legal action.
Conditions of Carriage – All our trains are operated by Locomotive Services (TOC) Limited, the conditions of carriage for which can be found at www.lsltoc.co.uk
Terms & Conditions updated 08.11.2023 and supersede any previous Terms & Conditions provided by the company.
Customer Feedback – We welcome all feedback from our passengers and use it as a means to constantly review and improve our service.
During your time with us, if we can make your experience better in any way, please give us the opportunity to do this on the day via the on-board Train Manager. We will do our best to rectify wherever possible and within our control. We will not take into consideration any complaints received retrospectively which are relating to issues not raised at the time, that could have been resolved during the day of travel.
Terms & Conditions updated 10.12.2024 and supersede any previous Terms & Conditions provided by the company.
