Passengers on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway can now travel in style thanks to a new carriage.

The luxury carriage was commissioned and built to a similar design as the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways' full-size Pullman Observation carriage, which was launched last year.

The two railways work together to exchange specialist knowledge, helping to keep heritage engineering skills alive.

The new carriage is part of a project to replace the rolling stock on the La'al Ratty.

The engineering team is working closely with team at Ffestiniog to redesign the closed carriages to increase the levels of comfort for passengers.

Martin Cookman, Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway operations manager, said: “Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways are leaders in the field of steam train engineering which is why we are so chuffed to be working with them on this project.

"When the observation carriage arrives, we are going to use it to decide the size of the new rolling stock replacements. It is far taller, longer and wider than any of our current carriages and will need to complete hundreds of hours of safety track testing before the first passengers can get on board.”

Paul Lewin, general manager of Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, said: “We are pleased to have been part of the team that has designed and built the first of a fleet of carriages that will transform the customer experience of the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. This carriage will offer modern day visitors the chance to experience the comfort of the golden age of travel.”

Once the Observation carriage has completed its full safety testing there will be an official launch ceremony and event later in the year.

The La'al Ratty will run daily from February 16 to 24 for half term then operate weekend services until its full timetable begins on March 16.