Santa Trains in the UK 2026: every Santa Special we confirmed, region by region

12 min read

We checked the official pages of heritage railways across England, Wales and Scotland and confirmed 24 Santa trains for 2026, from a Saturday steam run out of London Victoria to a narrow-gauge line in mid Wales. Each one has its own page with the dates, the fares as posted, the age children travel free and the rules on pushchairs. If you only have time for one, the East Lancs Railway Santa Specials from Bury run on twelve dates with a brass band on board, and the Bluebell Railway in Sussex adds a Christmas fair with fairground rides at Horsted Keynes.

The short version

  • 24 Santa trains confirmed for 2026 across 12 regions, from Sussex and Somerset to County Durham and the Scottish Highlands.
  • First runs on 21 November (North Norfolk Railway and Ravenglass & Eskdale); 18 seasons run to Christmas Eve, 24 December 2026.
  • Cheapest published fare: £5 for an infant at the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway or a toddler ticket on the Strathspey Railway; the lowest child fare we found is from £10 at the Bluebell Railway.
  • Near London: the Santa Steam Express leaves London Victoria on 12 and 19 December, and the Bluebell Railway is about 1 hour 30 minutes' drive away.
  • Book early, and only online with the railway: the Tanfield Railway is already sold out and the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Tinsel Train has sold out on 13, 19 and 20 December.
Watercolour of Rally the corgi on a red train seat looking out of the window at falling snow, a lit Christmas tree and a white dove.
Rally the corgi rides a Christmas train, watching the snow fall past a lit tree.

UK Santa trains 2026 at a glance

Santa trains confirmed
24 in 12 regions, including one mainline steam charter from London Victoria
Season
21 November to 24 December 2026; 18 of the 24 run up to Christmas Eve
Lowest published fare
£5 (infant or toddler ticket); child fares from £10
Weekday rides
Many lines run every day from 19 or 21 to 24 December, which falls Monday to Thursday in 2026
Steam
20 rides advertised as steam hauled; most reserve the right to use a diesel
Sold out
Tanfield Railway fully sold out; Lakeside & Haverthwaite sold out on 13, 19 and 20 December (as of 4 November 2026)
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When each Santa train runs in 2026

Season calendar

From 21 November to Christmas Eve

Each bar runs from a ride's first to its last day of 2026, but most trains only run on selected days in between, so open each page for the exact dates.

Santa trains by region

The cards are grouped from the north of Scotland down to the south coast. Each card shows the town, the dates and the lowest fare the railway publishes; where no fare is posted, the price is on the railway's booking system.

Santa trains: Scottish Highlands

Santa trains: North East England

Santa trains: North West England

Santa trains: Yorkshire and the Humber

Santa trains: North Wales

Santa trains: East Midlands

Santa trains: West Midlands

Santa trains: Mid Wales

Santa trains: East of England

Santa trains: London

Santa trains: South East England

Santa trains: South West England

Which Santa train suits your family

Santa trains near London

The Santa Steam Express from London Victoria is the only ride that starts in central London, on Saturday 12 and Saturday 19 December. If you can drive into Sussex or Kent, the Bluebell Railway is about 1 hour 30 minutes from London and about 40 minutes from Brighton, and the Kent & East Sussex Railway at Tenterden is about 25 minutes from Ashford.

Near Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham

From Manchester, the East Lancashire Railway at Bury is about 30 minutes away. Leeds families can reach the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway's Elf Explorer at Oxenhope in about 50 minutes, and from Birmingham the Severn Valley Railway at Kidderminster is about 40 minutes by car.

With a baby or a pushchair

Pushchair rules vary more than anything else. The East Lancs Railway has a buggy carriage on every train with a pram route that avoids stairs, and Bure Valley in Norfolk has free parking, toilets and baby changing at Aylsham but limited buggy space. The North Norfolk, West Somerset, Keighley & Worth Valley and Lakeside & Haverthwaite railways do not take pushchairs on the train at all, so bring a sling.

On a tight budget

Fares are mostly per person, but some lines charge per table. The Welshpool & Llanfair Railway charges £20 for a child aged 2 to 15 and £24 for an adult, and the Elf Explorer starts at £26 per person on 28 and 29 November. Early dates are usually cheaper: on the Keighley & Worth Valley, the North Yorkshire Moors and the East Lancs, late-November fares are the lowest of the season.

For children who need a calmer trip

Several railways run quieter departures: the North Yorkshire Moors Railway has a Relaxed Santa Express at 3pm on 28 November, the Severn Valley runs relaxed trains on 6, 13 and 20 December, the Welshpool & Llanfair has a SEND-friendly train on Wednesday 16 December, and the Kent & East Sussex Railway's 11.15am on 29 November is its Quiet Train.

On a weekday

Christmas week is the easiest time to avoid weekends: in 2026, 21 to 24 December falls on Monday to Thursday, and the Bluebell, Watercress Line, Keighley & Worth Valley, East Lancs and Ravenglass & Eskdale all run on each of those days. The GWSR Santa Express and the North Norfolk Railway finish on Wednesday 23 December.

With a Christmas market or lights

The West Somerset Railway also lists a Minehead Station Christmas Market and Carol Train on 5, 12 and 19 December, the GWSR runs Christmas Shopping at Broadway trains on 27 November and 4 December, and the Watercress Line runs a separate Steam Illuminations event from 27 November 2026 to 2 January 2027.

Narrow gauge for small children

The smaller carriages of a narrow-gauge line suit little ones well. The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway in Cumbria runs to Santa's grotto at Dalegarth, the Bure Valley Railway runs out of Aylsham, and the Welshpool & Llanfair runs from Llanfair Caereinion to Castle Caereinion and back.

Santa trains still to confirm for 2026

These railways run Santa trains but we could not yet confirm their 2026 dates on an official page. Check the operator's own site, and we will add each one once its 2026 programme is published.

Before you book a Santa train

The best dates go first

Santa trains are small and the weekends before Christmas go quickest. As of 4 November 2026 the Tanfield Railway was fully sold out, the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Tinsel Train had sold out on 13, 19 and 20 December, and some ticket types on the Kent & East Sussex Railway were gone. If a date you want has gone, a weekday in Christmas week is often the best second choice.

Free ages are not the same everywhere

There is no national rule. Under 2s travel free on the Severn Valley Railway and under 18 months travel free with a gift on the Kent & East Sussex, while the Lakeside & Haverthwaite charges for everyone from birth. Several lines sell a cheaper baby ticket that includes a present, for example £8 for an under 1 on the North Norfolk Railway and £10 on the West Somerset Railway. Check the age bands on each page before you book.

Book ahead, online

Almost every railway on this page sells Santa trains in advance only, usually online, and several close online sales the day before or earlier: the Kent & East Sussex stops taking bookings 7 days before travel. The Severn Valley Railway is an exception, selling any remaining tickets on the day at the booking office. Most tickets are non-refundable, so check the date and time carefully.

Dress for a cold platform

You will often wait outside before boarding, and some events have outdoor activities, such as the Bluebell Railway's Christmas fair at Horsted Keynes. Bring warm layers, hats and gloves, and a torch if you have a late-afternoon departure. Railways often ask you to arrive 30 to 45 minutes early.

Use the railway's own website

Book through the official site or the ticket system it links to, such as vTicket, Digitickets or FareHarbor, which we list on each ride page. Many tickets are non-transferable (the West Somerset and North Norfolk railways both say so), so always buy direct.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolour corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the journeyRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a little corgi’s first train ride to see his grandparents, hand-painted in real watercolour. For ages 0 to 5.

More Christmas outings

Sources

Dates, times and fares are taken from each railway's official page, checked on 4 November 2026. Rally Takes the Train is a children's picture book and is not affiliated with any railway listed. Always book on the railway's official website.

Santa trains in the UK: questions from parents

Which Santa trains are running in the UK in 2026?

We have confirmed 24 Santa trains for 2026 on railways in England, Wales and Scotland, including the Bluebell, Severn Valley, North Yorkshire Moors, East Lancashire and Strathspey railways. Each has its own page in this guide.

When do Santa trains start in 2026?

The earliest are the North Norfolk Railway and the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, both from 21 November 2026. Most other lines start on 28 November or in early December.

Do Santa trains run on Christmas Eve?

Yes. 18 of the 24 rides we confirmed have their last date on 24 December 2026, including the Bluebell Railway, the Keighley & Worth Valley and the Tanfield Railway. Some charge more on Christmas Eve.

Is there a Santa train in London?

The Santa Steam Express leaves London Victoria on 12 and 19 December 2026. The nearest heritage railway option is the Bluebell Railway at Sheffield Park, about 1 hour 30 minutes' drive from London.

What is the nearest Santa train to Manchester?

The East Lancashire Railway at Bury is about 30 minutes away, the Ribble Steam Railway at Preston about 50 minutes and the Keighley & Worth Valley at Oxenhope about an hour.

Is there a Santa train near Birmingham?

The Severn Valley Railway runs Santa's Steam Specials from Kidderminster, about 40 minutes from Birmingham, from 28 November to 24 December 2026.

Which Santa trains are near Leeds, Newcastle, Bristol or Nottingham?

From Leeds, the Keighley & Worth Valley is about 50 minutes away. From Newcastle, the Tanfield Railway is about 25 minutes (sold out for 2026) and the Weardale Railway about an hour. From Bristol, the East Somerset Railway is about 50 minutes. From Nottingham, the Great Central and the Midland Railway Butterley are each about 30 minutes.

Is there a Santa train in Scotland or Wales?

In Scotland we confirmed the Strathspey Railway's Santa's Elf Express from Aviemore, about 40 minutes from Inverness. In Wales we confirmed the Llangollen Railway and the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway; Welsh lines further south such as the Gwili and Brecon Mountain railways are on our list to confirm.

How much does a Santa train cost?

Most per-person fares we found are between about £20 and £42, with baby tickets from £5. Some railways sell by table or compartment instead, such as the Severn Valley from £67 for a table of 2 and the Lakeside & Haverthwaite at £125 for a compartment of up to 4.

When do Santa train tickets go on sale?

Each railway sets its own date, and most of the rides on this page were already taking bookings when we checked in early November. The Lakeside & Haverthwaite Tinsel Train opened its sale at 10am on 4 November 2026 and three of its dates were sold out when we checked that day.

Can I buy Santa train tickets at the station?

Usually not: almost all of these trains must be booked in advance. The Severn Valley Railway does sell any remaining tickets on the day at its booking office, after online booking closes at 9am the day before.

Do babies go free on Santa trains?

It depends on the railway. Under 2s go free on the Severn Valley and under 18 months on the Kent & East Sussex, while the Lakeside & Haverthwaite charges from birth and lines such as the North Norfolk and West Somerset sell a cheaper baby ticket with a gift.

Is a Santa train suitable for a baby?

Yes, many families go with babies, but choose carefully: some lines have no space for pushchairs and some charge for lap babies. A morning departure on a shorter line is usually easiest, and each ride page lists what the railway says about babies.

Can I take a pushchair on a Santa train?

Some railways allow it and some do not. The East Lancs Railway has a buggy carriage on every train, while the North Norfolk, West Somerset and Keighley & Worth Valley railways do not allow pushchairs on board.

Are the Santa trains pulled by steam engines?

20 of the 24 rides are advertised as steam hauled, though most railways say a diesel may be used if needed. The Great Central Railway runs steam outbound and heritage diesel on the return.

Does every child get a present from Santa?

Every ride on this page includes a gift for each child. On most trains Santa visits you in the carriage; on the Severn Valley Railway he appears in a theatre show at Arley station instead of meeting families one by one.

What else is included besides the present?

It varies: many railways add a snack and drink for children and a mince pie and mulled wine for adults, and some include grottos, magicians, brass bands or fairground rides. Each ride page lists exactly what is included.

Are Santa trains accessible for wheelchair users?

Many railways have a wheelchair space or an accessible carriage that must be booked ahead, such as the Kent & East Sussex Railway's accessible coach and four wheelchair spaces per train on the West Somerset Railway. Older carriages can be hard to access, so contact the railway before booking.

How do I know I am booking an official Santa train ticket?

Start from the railway's own website and use only the booking link it gives you. We link to each official page from every ride page and from the sources list on this page.

Will you list Santa trains for 2027?

Yes. Sign up for the 2027 alert on this page and we will tell you when railways publish their next Santa train dates.

2027 ticket alert

Santa trains sell out fast

The best dates are often gone weeks before December. Leave your email and we will write once, the moment 2027 bookings open.

One email when 2027 tickets are released, nothing before. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

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