Train passengers will be treated to a special musical journey as part of a pilot event being launched in Beccles.

The Music Train will be departing from Beccles station on Easter Saturday, travelling to Ipswich and back again with gypsy folk band Solana providing two hours of live musical entertainment from one of the carriages.

The event has been organised by East Suffolk Line Community Rail Partnership in conjunction with train operator Abellio Greater Anglia.

And if the pilot event is a success, it is hoped more music trains will follow throughout the year featuring a variety of local groups and musical styles.

Beccles councillor Graham Elliott, who is also chairman of the northern line group for the Community Rail Partnership, is championing the project.

He said: “Music trains have proved extremely popular around the country and with such a wealth of musical talent in the area I thought it would be a great way to showcase local musicians complimented by the beautiful views of the Suffolk countryside which can be seen along the line.”

Solana, which formed in the Spanish city of Valencia in 2012, includes performers from Beccles, Bristol and Valencia. Their repertoire incorporates such diverse influences as swing, klezmer and Latin rhythms and features Spanish guitars, Celtic flutes and irrepressible fiddles, a style which has made the group hugely popular on the UK and continental festival circuits.

The East Suffolk Line Music Train will depart from Beccles at 1.25pm on Easter Saturday, March 26, calling at Halesworth, Darsham, Saxmundham, Wickham Market, Melton and Woodbridge, arriving in Ipswich at 2.36pm. The return journey will depart at 3.17pm calling at all stations and arriving back in Beccles at 4.25pm.

Passengers can also board the outgoing train from Lowestoft at 1.07pm and Oulton Broad South at 1.15pm, with the return service arriving back in Oulton Broad South at 4.35pm and Lowestoft at 4.43pm.

A scheduled service train is being used for the inaugural Music Train event and passengers will require a normal rail ticket for the journey which can be purchased from stations or the conductor on board. There will be no additional charge above the current train fare and passengers can also take advantage of GroupSave tickets.

For more information visit www.eastsuffolkline.com

Are you organising a special event? Email the details to amy.smith@archant.co.uk