How a Santa special works
The details change from line to line, but the shape is the same. You book a seat or a compartment for a set departure, the train runs a short stretch of the line, and Santa comes round or meets you at a station. Every railway below sells tickets on its own site, and several say plainly that you cannot just turn up. The North Norfolk Railway’s page says “Advance booking is essential” (North Norfolk Railway, read 21 October 2026), and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway says “Book early, as demand is always high” (GWSR).
One more thing before the list. The Polar Express train ride is a separate, licensed event based on the picture book, and it has its own guide: Polar Express train rides in the UK.
England: the 2026 dates we found
The Bluebell Railway runs its Santa Specials from Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes, starting on 28 and 29 November (Bluebell Railway). The Severn Valley Railway runs Santa’s Steam Specials from Kidderminster from 28 November (Severn Valley Railway). The North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s Santa Express is a round trip between Pickering and Levisham, first running on 28th Nov 2026, and each child gets a gingerbread man plush toy (NYMR).
On the East Lancashire Railway, Santa Specials leave Bury Bolton Street from 28 to 29 November 2026 through to 24 December 2026, with a Christmas gift for every child selected by age band and “a mince pie and festive tipple” for the grown-ups (East Lancashire Railway). The Great Central Santa Express runs from 28/11/2026 to 24/12/2026 (Great Central Railway), and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s Santa Express runs from Toddington from November 28 to December 23, 2026.
On the Keighley and Worth Valley line the Christmas train is called The Elf Explorer, starting at Oxenhope, with dates that include 19th to 24th December (KWVR). The Dartmouth line runs a Train of Lights with Santa from 27th November 2026 to 23rd December 2026, and its page says each adult and each child will receive a gift from Santa (Dartmouth Steam Railway).
Wales
The Llangollen Railway runs its Santa trains from the 28th of November up to Christmas Eve, and its page calls them trains to Lapland (Llangollen Railway). The Brecon Mountain Railway runs the Polar Express instead of a Santa special, so it sits in the other guide.
Photographing the day
Most of the best pictures from a Santa special are inside the carriage, not of the engine: the moment a child is handed the parcel, or a face pressed to a steamy window. Ask before you photograph anyone outside your own party, and keep phones off the platform edge while trains move. On its Polar Express nights the Brecon Mountain Railway even offers a professional photo opportunity at Pant station.
A good one makes a lovely present the following Christmas: a mug or a small framed print of the morning, from your own photo. Our train Christmas gifts page shows what we make and how long it takes.
Sources: Brecon Mountain Railway; each railway named above (read 21 October 2026). Dates are as the railways published them; check the booking page before you travel.
