Polar Express Train Rides UK 2026: Where They Run

The Polar Express train rides, in Britain.

Every December a handful of heritage railways turn themselves into the Polar Express: bells, dressing gowns, hot chocolate, and a train that supposedly runs to the North Pole. This is where the rides happen in the UK, what booking one actually involves, and the photograph worth taking while you are there. We print photographs - which is the part after the ride.

Where they run

The same heritage railways run it year after year, because the licence is held region by region. For 2026 the operators advertising rides include the Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire, the Yorkshire Dales Railway at Embsay, the South Devon Railway, and the Mid Norfolk Railway (each railway's own booking page, read 4 September 2026). Book through the operator, not a reseller: dates cluster on weekends in late November and December, and the popular sessions sell out early.

Is it worth it? The questions families ask most are which ride is best, where to book, and whether it is a real train. It is a real train, staffed in character, dressed for the story. Young children get the most out of it; adults go for the child and end up enjoying the locomotive.

A watercolour of a frosty country platform on a winter evening, lamplight on the frost and a locomotive waiting in steam. — Watercolour painted for this guide. An interpretation of the line, not a photograph.

What it is like

Expect a ticket that gets punched on board, a reading of the story, hot chocolate, a bell, and a good deal of singing. Dress warmly:heritage carriages were built for heat from the engine, not from radiators. Pyjamas and dressing gowns are the costume of choice, which is exactly why the photographs from these rides are so good - where else do you get a steam engine, a golden ticket and a carriage full of dressing gowns in one frame?

The photograph, afterwards

This is our part of the evening. The ride gives you a handful of photographs that no ordinary day out produces: the children's faces by lamplight, the engine hissing in the dark, the family on the platform with the steam behind them. Those pictures deserve better than a phone screen. Print the best one as it is, or have it repainted as a railway art print - the Polar Express mood carries beautifully into the vintage poster style.

Practical notes

Check the operator's own page for dates, accessibility and the exact boarding point - several of the rides run from small stations where parking is limited. If the ride you want is sold out, the operators run other seasonal trains worth the trip on their own merits. And if the evening produces one photograph worth keeping, our size guide will tell you how big it can go.

Written by Craig Fearn, Trackside Prints. Last updated 9 September 2026.

Questions, answered

Where is the Polar Express train ride in the UK?

Licensed operators run them region by region; for 2026 the rides advertised include the Churnet Valley Railway, the Yorkshire Dales Railway at Embsay, the South Devon Railway and the Mid Norfolk Railway. Book direct with the operator.

Is there a real Polar Express train ride?

The rides are real steam or heritage trains dressed and staffed as the train from the story: punched tickets, hot chocolate, a reading of the tale, and the bell. It is an experience rather than a journey anywhere - most rides return to the station they left.

How far in advance should you book?

Early. The UK rides run on limited dates in late November and December, evening sessions sell out first, and operators typically open bookings in the spring or summer for that December.

What should you wear on a Polar Express ride?

Warm clothes, and dressing gowns or pyjamas if you are joining the costume - heritage carriages are atmospheric rather than airtight. Everyone else will be dressed for the story too.