I’m a huge fan of trains — but I can’t say I’ve had many positive experiences on the so-called Great British railways recently. The delays, overcrowding, and non-functioning facilities mean it’s a pretty miserable way to get from A to B.
Even if we know it’s the right thing to do for the environment, the cost can often become more prohibitive than driving. A trip to see my parents in Devon, just a few hours away, can easily cost over £100.
So when Uber invited me to take a ride on its Grape British Railway — a jaunt on a vintage steam train complete with a wine-soused three-course lunch, followed by a trip to a local vineyard — I jumped at the chance, but assumed they’d made a typo. I mean, £10 wouldn’t even cover a max price peak time Tube fair. How much train experiencing can one get for that price?
Turns out, a surprising amount. After getting a boring old electric train to East Grinstead (booked via the Uber app, which now does train tickets and often for cheaper than Trainline), we were met by classic Routemaster buses. The kind you used to be able to jump on and off of — cute for snapping pics, but a terrifying prospect if you imagine trying to do that during London rush hour today.
They trundled us over Kingscote train station, a Victorian-era chocolate box of a stop that’s been restored to look like it did in the 1950s. It’s on the Bluebell Railway, a heritage line that is maintained for the use of historic stream strains. When the steam era was canned and the line from East Grinstead to Lewes was shuttered, volunteers took it over to run as a tourist attraction.
Liveried staff with white gloves waited on the platform, handing out glasses of sparkling pink wine as a violinist played classical covers of pop songs. At one end of the platform, the steam locomotive was firing up, chuntering plumes of vapour into the air and giving the ol’ choo choo.
Golden Arrow carriages awaited us, relics of a far more civilised time for transport. Operated by British Pullman, these first-class only lounge and dining cars once ferried the well-to-do down to Calais, where the French counterpart Flèche d'Or would take you on to Paris.
Classic cream and brown on the exterior, the interiors are decked out in an Art Deco fashion, with decorative wood panels and plump chintzy upholstery. White cloth tables with silverware awaited us, and as we set off down the tracks following a pep talk from Uber’s UK general manager Andrew Berm. He informed us the company wants to be known for doing more than “pizza and Priuses” (and, one imagines, the Lime bike pavement scourge).
A silver service luncheon commenced, with wine pairings from Highweald Wine Estate. Outside the large glazed windows, West Sussex’s rolling green fields of sheep and cows completed the bucolic scene. It felt like being on a film set — probably because these carriages have starred in the likes of Downton Abbey and Poirot.
It’s all very nostalgic, although let’s not get it twisted. My great-great grandmother would have been too busy running her pawn shop in Brixton to be going on fancy first-class train journeys. This was a rarefied experience only available to the poshest of Brits. But given that British Pullman usually cost upwards of £500 for two on a day excursion, the Uber £10 deal is the bargain to end all bargains.
After pootling between various stations with stops to let the steam locomotive switch directions, we arrived back at Kingscote and were reunited with the Routemasters for a trip to Highweald vineyard for a tour and tasting.
It felt like being on a film set — probably because these carriages have starred in the likes of Downton Abbey and Poirot
Acres of zingy green vines stretched out as far as you can see, and manager Robin Langton took us on a tour of his vines. They’re determined ambassadors for English wines — deliciousness grown in our own backyard that you miss out on if you always go for plain old champagne.
Highweald embraces modern growing techniques and the biodiversity of their hedgerows, while a careful drainage systems allow them to grow on nutritious clay instead of the more traditional gravel.
The Highweald team had laid on another feast of BBQ and salads for everyone to enjoy on the sunny terraces as we tasted the fermented fruits of their labour. I can’t claim to be a wine expert, but their Wild Ferment Chardonnay is absolutely delicious, and that’s coming from a Sauv Blanc girlie.
All too soon it was time to board our trusty buses once again and head back to the big smoke. If you want to bag your own Grape British Railway experience you’ll have to move quick; the first two ticket drops sold out in moments few. There are just two dates available: August 23 and 30, and the final batch of tickets go on sale on Tuesday August 12.
Bookmark Uber’s booking platform here.
