Northern Belle: Britain’s most luxurious train is set to steam through Calderdale this month

It will be the only stop to the towns this year by the 1930s Pullman-style Northern Belle, which actor Bill Nighy once described on television as “the Grand Dame of luxury travel”.

Passengers will board over a red carpet laid across the station platforms and be escorted to their seats before a uniformed steward pours them first glass of champagne.

But despite the high price of tickets, the train on Friday, April 19, won’t actually take them to another destination.

Instead they will just be able to enjoy the countryside on the leisurely six-hour journey.

A spokesman said: “What we will do, is transport our guests back to the golden days of rail travel. A time when nothing was too good for the pampered passengers, and the style in which you travelled was more important than the destination.”

He admitted being surprised how quickly tickets sold out for the train, which is scheduled to leave Manchester Victoria at 12.20pm before arriving in Hebden Bridge at 1pm and then Brighouse at 1.20pm.

Passengers had the option of choosing Afternoon Tea, with tickets starting at £295 each, or a Spirit of Travel Lunch costing £395. But then they could choose to pay an extra £195 each to upgrade to drink Krug champagne during the journey.

Although the Northern Belle will not be back in Hebden Bridge or Brighouse again this year, the train will make several departures from Leeds and Manchester.

For more information visit www.northernbelle.co.uk.