CHARTER trains have been around a long time. As early as 1841 a special train between Leicester and Loughborough was organised by Thomas Cook, an individual who was to develop a company that became a famous worldwide tour operator.
The concept continues today, but the manner in which trains are operated changed after the 1993 Railways Act, as qualified independent licensed operators were able to promote and operate services using the principle of open access to the rail network.
Up until then a charter train could be purchased from British Rail, which was often the case for one-off occasions such as ship launches and major sporting events. These operations continued after the sector management reorganisation in 1982 and the InterCity charter unit was allocated locos and rolling stock to develop a retail market for an offer that can best be described as landcruises, which made use of surplus Mk.3 sleeping cars to allow overnight trips.
At Privatisation the charter unit was not included as a franchise, but took
