REVIEW: North Yorkshire Moors Railway Light Spectacular train plus discount code for Scarborough News readers

Compered by TV’s ‘Voiceover Man’ Peter Dickson (X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, Ant and Dec Saturday Night Takeaway), the hour-long Light Spectacular runs from Pickering to Levisham and admission includes a flashing wristband which syncs with the on board show.

Scarborough News Reporter Louise Perrin took a ride on the train and shared her experience.

From the moment you arrive at the station, you can sense the excitement in the air, young families head towards the train with excited chatter before being welcomed by cheerful NYMR volunteers who present all travellers with an interactive wristband.

The wristbands flash a multitude of colours and several minutes were spent deciding whether red, blue, pink or multi-coloured was the best way forward.

Crossing the bridge from the car park to the platform, it’s impossible not to pause for just a moment to take in the breathtaking sight of the train carriages adorned with 17,000 LEDs.

The lights are both inside and outside the train and with the wristbands as well, it truly is a light spectacular.

Shortly before departure, the wristbands sync with the train and Voice Over Man welcomes you on board. He does apolgise for the bad jokes which are to come, but in truth, he doesn’t apolgise enough, they are genuinely cringeworthy and you berate yourself for laughing – but you still do.

I’ve travelled on NYMR’s illuminated services before. They have always been lovely rides and the way in which the carriages illuminate the surrounding countryside is always stunning, as it was on this service, but what I wasn’t expecting was the fantastic party atmosphere in the carriages.

Everybody had arrived to have a good time and, with Voice Over Man compering proceedings, travellers were encouraged to clap, sing and even dance in time to the music.

The musical medley provided something for everyone to join in with, from The Monkees to Taylor Swift, and when half the wristbands went pink and the other half blue, the passengers sang the male and female parts of the Grease Megamix perfectly.

This year, North Yorkshire Moors Railway have excelled themselves. I have genuinely never experienced an evening like it and everyone who travelled took part and disembarked smiling like children at Christmas.

Luke Hudman, Marketing Manager from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway said: “It’s a fantastic event that just makes you smile from the moment you see the train - even the grown-ups! Seeing people dancing and singing along on board brightens up those dark nights.”

The hugely popular audio and visual sensory experience departs from Pickering station twice each evening until October 30 with services at 6pm and 7.45pm.

Tickets for the family fun interactive journey, pulled by a heritage steam train, are £30 per person, and include an hour-long illuminated experience from Pickering to Levisham station.

Scarborough News readers can receive a 20% discount by entering the code LOCAL20 on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway website.