Details of the 'secret' journey made by the Royal Train and the Flying Scotsman through Yorkshire for King Charles' visit

The Royal Train’s headcode was not visible on rail tracking apps and forums as it travelled north along the East Coast Main Line, but it was spotted at both Peterborough and Doncaster on webcams. The carriages were hauled by Class 67 locomotive 67006, the Royal Sovereign.

At York, both the King and the Flying Scotsman joined the train for the leg to Pickering, where the monarch was due to visit the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to mark both the heritage line’s 50th birthday and the Flying Scotsman’s 100th anniversary.

However, the journey then became convoluted, as direct access from York to Pickering ended in the 1960s, when the through line to Whitby via Malton was closed as part of the Beeching cuts.

Instead, the Royal Train, now hauled by the famous engine, continued up the East Coast Main Line to Northallerton and then was routed through Middlesbrough, where it joined the scenic Esk Valley Line to Whitby.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway still has a connection to the mainline at Grosmont, the former terminus, allowing it to run trains to and from Whitby. There was a large police presence at Grosmont and the entire heritage line was closed for the royal visit. The special service then travelled to Pickering, where the King disembarked and toured the town centre, visiting local shops and the church.

The Flying Scotsman then hauled the Royal Train back to York, where it was photographed at Skelton Bridge Junction just outside the city. The historic engine is owned by the National Railway Museum and often stored in its York siding.

The Royal Sovereign diesel locomotive is not owned by the Royal Family – it is loaned to them by freight operator DB Cargo. The carriages, which haven’t been modernised since the 1970s, are owned by Network Rail.

The king was on the train which cam from York via Northallerton and Middlesbrough along the Esk Valley branch. The train reversed at Grosmont and continued along our line to Pickering.