RAIL passengers in York were treated to a glimpse of Grand Central’s William Shakespeare train.

The company named one of its newly-refurbished Adelante trains after the Bard to celebrate its title sponsorship of Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre in York.

The train passed through the city where the pop-up theatre runs until September 2 with performances of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Richard III and a Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Liam Smallwood, of Grand Central, said: “We’re very happy to sponsor such an iconic event for the City of York, which highlights the city’s cultural uniqueness and attraction to visitors nationwide. It’s our aim to make culture more accessible to everyone and encourage people to visit key attractions such as this fantastic pop-up theatre and we hope many more people will experience the event for themselves this summer.”

The trains have been upgraded as part of Grand Central’s £9million refurbishment programme.

James Cundall, chief executive of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, said: “Over 60,000 have already enjoyed our incredible summer of Shakespeare in York and I am sure many of them have used Grand Central to visit us in style. We are delighted to have the North East’s premium train provider as a sponsor of Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre.”