Local residents will be able to see steam power in action on the mainline every weekend for nearly two months as 'The Shakespeare Express' is set to make multiple trips through Warwickshire this summer.

The express will travel from Birmingham Moor Street to Stratford-upon-Avon every Sunday from July 16 to September 3.

Run by Vintage Trains, the excursion will actually pass through South Warwickshire four times on each Sunday, as it makes the return journey twice each time.

The express will be hauled by either 7029 Clun Castle or 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe - as has been the case on previous occasions.

On each trip the train will pass south through Henley-in-Arden, returning through Hatton on the journey back into Birmingham.

Fares for the special start at £30.

"Join us this summer for a delightful Sunday trip from central Birmingham through pretty Warwickshire countryside to Stratford-upon-Avon – complete with a famous express steam locomotive from the golden age of train travel," the advert on the Vintage Trains website says.

"You'll board on a Sunday morning at one of three convenient Birmingham stations (departing Snow Hill at 10:00, Moor Street at 10:05 and Tyseley at 10:15). Sit back in your 1950s or 1960s seat for a journey of approximately one hour – taking in a variety of views and take shots from your phone.

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"As we arrive at Stratford, you will have an opportunity to take a photograph of the locomotive before heading into this historic town for a few hours to shop and sightsee."

Timings for the specials are regular published in advance on the website Railway Herald.

(Header image by Andrew via Flickr)