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£11,000-per-trip Lake District sleeper train cancels three-day trip after just four hours – leaving even more customers fed up

READ MORE: Inside Britain’s most expensive train – with Michelin-star meals and on-board spa

By MARTI STELLING, REPORTER

Published: 09:52 BST, 3 October 2025 | Updated: 09:52 BST, 3 October 2025

Britain’s newest luxury train has once again failed to give passengers the experience they hoped for.

The Britannic Explorer is the first high-end sleeper train to operate on routes in England and Wales.

Its most recent journey – a three-day trip to the Lake District which cost passengers a minimum of £11,000 per couple – had to be terminated after just four hours because of a faulty door mechanism.

Some passengers are understood to have paid upwards of £50,000 for a three-night stay in one of the train’s three ‘grand suites’.

The planned trip left London Victoria just before 4pm last Friday and the first day’s travel was meant to see the train travelling up north to Yorkshire.

But passengers only got as far as Fenny Stratford, just outside Milton Keynes, when just before 8pm crew discovered a fault with the doors.

Everyone had to get off and guests were provided with travel back to London, as well as a full refund.

It follows a string of setbacks surrounding the Britannic Explorer, the newest train to be launched by Belmond, the company behind the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

The Britannic Explorer is the first high-end sleeper train to operate on routes in England and Wales

The Britannic Explorer (interior pictured) is a totally repurposed version of the Grand Hibernian train that Belmond ran in Ireland between 2016 and 2019

Earlier this year, a platform at London Euston station transformed into a garden space with a star-studded crowd including the actress Keira Knightley and Simon Rogan, the superstar chef credited with being the creative force behind the Britannic Explorer’s menus.

Just one day later it was announced that the maiden voyage to Cornwall, due to depart on July 4, had been cancelled due to ‘maintenance issues’.

A rescheduled maiden voyage to Wales, set for July 21, then also had to be cancelled due to ‘technical issues relating to door mechanisms’.

The train did finally embark on its first proper voyage on August 29 with a trip to Cornwall, immediately followed by another to Wales.

Now, less than one month since that maiden voyage, and with just a handful of journeys under its belt, the train has faced another cancellation.

The Britannic Explorer is a totally repurposed version of the Grand Hibernian train that Belmond ran in Ireland between 2016 and 2019.

The company said the train would debut the ‘unapologetically British, effortlessly elegant’ service in mid-2025, with three routes showcasing ‘the spectacular natural landscapes of Cornwall, the Lake District and Wales’.

But issues have included the voyage being postponed twice after a spate of mechanical and technical problems.

There has been heavy criticism of the Michelin-star quality catering, as well as problems with the water supply to the en-suite bathrooms in the cabins

There has also been heavy criticism of the Michelin-star quality catering, as well as problems with the water supply to the en-suite bathrooms in the cabins.

A spokesman for Belmond confirmed that the train had been taken out of service pending resolution of the latest problem.

‘Due to an isolated new issue related to a door mechanism on board the Britannic Explorer on Friday evening, the remainder of the trip was cancelled and all passengers were transferred to London hotels,’ the spokesman said to The Telegraph.

An investigation into the door mechanism will be conducted by an independent body.

‘Every affected guest was offered a full refund, along with a complimentary future journey aboard the Britannic Explorer.

‘In addition, we are covering any related expenses incurred as a result of the cancellation.

‘The train is currently out of service while our teams work with urgency and care to resolve the issue and enable a timely return to service.’

WalesKeira Knightley

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£11,000-per-trip Lake District sleeper train cancels three-day trip after just four hours – leaving even more customers fed up

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