On the Bluebell Railway the Santa trip does not end when the steam train stops: at Horsted Keynes a whole Christmas fair, fairground rides included, waits on the platform side for the children. Departures leave Sheffield Park four times a day on twelve dates in 2026, and this is our parent's guide to them, part of our round-up of Santa steam trains across Britain.
The short version
- Dates: 28 and 29 November, then 5, 6, 12, 13 and 19 to 24 December 2026
- Departures: 10am, 11.05am, 1pm and 2.05pm from Sheffield Park
- From £35 per adult and £10 per child (full grid at booking)
- Booking: online only via the railway's ticket system; trains will not wait for latecomers
- Tip: pushchairs stay at Sheffield Park, so bring a sling for little ones
The Bluebell Santa Specials at a glance
- Railway
- Bluebell Railway
- Departs from
- Sheffield Park Station, East Sussex, TN22 3QL (return trip to Horsted Keynes)
- 2026 dates
- 28 and 29 November; 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 December 2026
- Times
- Morning departures 10am and 11.05am; afternoon departures 1pm and 2.05pm
- Duration
- About 2 hours in total, including the Christmas fair at Horsted Keynes
- Fares
- From £35 per adult and from £10 per child. Private compartments and reserved open-carriage seats are offered; the full price grid is shown on the booking system.
- Booking
- Book online through the vTicket link on the Bluebell Railway Santa Specials page. Book early. Missed trains cannot be refunded or rebooked.
- Checked
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 in South East England.
The train story to read before you boardRally 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.
From Sheffield Park to a fairground at Horsted Keynes
Arriving at Sheffield Park
Everything starts at Sheffield Park Station, postcode TN22 3QL, the southern end of the line. There are four departures on each Santa date: two in the morning at 10am and 11.05am, and two in the afternoon at 1pm and 2.05pm. The railway is blunt about timing: trains will not wait, and a missed departure cannot be refunded or rebooked, so build in slack for the country lanes and for finding a space.
If you came with a pushchair, this is where it stays. The Bluebell says buggies and prams are not suitable on its platforms and carriages, so you leave them at Sheffield Park and collect them when you return. Children who are too big to carry far will be walking from here.
Have your booking confirmation ready on your phone or printed, and note whether you chose a private compartment or reserved seats in an open carriage, as that tells you what to look for when the train pulls in. Use the waiting time for a last toilet stop and to swap wellies onto small feet.
Steam north through the Sussex Weald
The train runs north from Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes behind a steam locomotive. Every child receives an activity pack, which is handy for the stretch when the excitement of the whistle has worn off and small hands want something to do. You can choose a private compartment or reserved seats in an open carriage when you book; families with toddlers who like to climb often prefer the closed door of a compartment.
The operator does not say on its page exactly when Santa appears, only that a collectible toy from Santa and a photo opportunity are part of the ticket. If your child is anxious about meeting him, ask the railway in advance how the visit is arranged so you can prepare them.
The Christmas fair at Horsted Keynes
This is what sets the Bluebell apart from most Santa trains in the south. Your ticket includes entry to a Christmas fair at Horsted Keynes with fairground rides and other family attractions. Some of these are outdoors, and the railway asks families to dress for winter, which on a damp Sussex December day means proper coats and waterproof footwear rather than party clothes.
Food and drink are not mentioned on the Santa Specials page at all, so do not count on mince pies or hot chocolate being included. Pack a flask and snacks, or check with the railway what is on sale at Horsted Keynes and Sheffield Park before you set off.
Back to Sheffield Park
The return train brings you back to Sheffield Park, where you collect your buggy. The whole outing takes about two hours in total, so a 10am departure has you back in the car before lunch, and the 2.05pm train brings you home as the light fades. Compare it with the shorter steam rides at Tenterden's table-service Santa trains in Kent if two hours feels long for your crew.
Which Bluebell departure suits your family
Babies and toddlers on the Bluebell
With no pushchairs on board, the morning trains are usually kinder to babies, who are fresher before lunch and easier to carry in a sling. An early start also leaves the rest of the day free for a long nap at home. Ask about child prices for under-ones when you book: the page lists child fares from £10 but does not state a free age.
Preschoolers and the Horsted Keynes fairground
This is the age the fairground rides were made for. A late-morning or early-afternoon departure (11.05am or 1pm) suits children who still nap, because you can let them sleep in the car on the way or home. A private compartment gives restless preschoolers space to bounce without bothering anyone, and it is the option we would ask about first for this age. Expect the fairground to be the highlight, and set a ride limit before you arrive to avoid tears at the end.
Older children on the Bluebell
School-age children who have stopped believing in Santa often still love the steam and the fairground. The 2.05pm departure means you finish at dusk, which feels more Christmassy, and it works on school days in the run-up to Christmas: 21, 22 and 23 December are weekdays in 2026, and Christmas Eve falls on a Thursday.
Weekend or the final week
The Bluebell runs every day from 19 to 24 December, which gives families with a free weekday a real choice. The two November dates, 28 and 29, are the earliest Santa trains in the season and suit families who like to start Christmas early or who have busy Decembers. Christmas Eve, 24 December, is the date most children dream of, and also the one most likely to be in demand, so book that one first if it matters to you. Weekends in mid December are the classic choice for working parents, with four departures each day to pick from.
Budget and weather on the Bluebell
Prices start at £35 for adults and £10 for children; the full grid only appears on the booking system, so open it before deciding. Because part of the fair is outside, the late November dates may be milder than the week before Christmas, but in Sussex rain is the real risk, not snow. Whatever the forecast, waterproofs are the best investment for this trip.
How volunteers saved the Bluebell line
The Bluebell Railway runs on what was once the northern half of the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway, which opened on 1 August 1882. Like many country branches it struggled in the 1950s, and British Railways closed it for good on 17 March 1958.
What happened next made railway history. On 15 March 1959 a group of enthusiasts met at Ardingly and formed the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway Preservation Society, later renamed the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society. On 7 August 1960 they ran their first trains over a southern section about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long, from Sheffield Park, making the Bluebell one of the very first standard-gauge passenger lines in the world to be run by preservationists.
The volunteers then worked northwards for decades. Trains reached Horsted Keynes, today's Santa destination, in 1962. Kingscote followed in April 1994, and the long-awaited link to East Grinstead, where the line meets the national network again, was officially opened on 23 March 2013. The line is now about 11 miles (17.7 km) long.
That timeline matters for your Santa trip. The run from Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes covers the ground the society reopened in its first two years, between 1960 and 1962. In other words, the stretch your children ride to meet Santa is the original heart of the preserved Bluebell, the part that proved a group of volunteers could run a real railway. Everything north of Horsted Keynes came later, after decades of fundraising and track laying, and it is worth telling older children that the railway grew bit by bit, like a model layout that never stops.
- 1882The Lewes and East Grinstead Railway opens on 1 August
- 1958British Railways closes the line on 17 March
- 1959A preservation society is founded at Ardingly on 15 March
- 1960First preserved trains run on 7 August over about 4.5 miles from Sheffield Park
- 1962Services are extended to Horsted Keynes
- 1994The extension to Kingscote is completed in April
- 2013The line to East Grinstead officially opens on 23 March
The closure story of the mid 1950s had several twists, which the railway's own website tells in full. What matters for families is that the Sheffield Park end, where your Santa train starts, is the very stretch the first volunteers brought back to life.
A version for a six-year-old: a long time ago the big railway company said this little line was finished, but a group of people who loved steam trains got together, saved it, and have kept it puffing ever since, so that children like you can ride it to see Santa.
Making a December day of it around Sheffield Park
Sheffield Park sits in the countryside between Haywards Heath and Uckfield, so there is no town centre on the doorstep. For many families the Christmas fair at Horsted Keynes, which is part of your ticket, is the main event, and with about two hours on the railway it fills a morning or an afternoon on its own.
Sheffield Park and Garden, owned by the National Trust and sharing its name with the station, lies about five miles east of Haywards Heath and makes an easy pairing with the train; opening days and any Christmas events change each year, so check the Trust's own listings before promising the children a visit. Because pushchairs cannot go on the train, families with very young children may want to save any longer walk for another day and keep the Santa outing simple. For a second railway outing on another weekend, the Bluebell's northern terminus at East Grinstead links with the national network, which is how the line connects with the rest of the country today, although the Santa Specials themselves only run from Sheffield Park. Brighton is about 40 minutes' drive away if you want to turn the trip into a seaside day, and London is about an hour and a half by car.
We have not found a Christmas market close to Sheffield Park with confirmed 2026 dates yet, so we are not listing one. If you are planning around the train, a sensible rhythm is lunch before an afternoon departure or after a morning one, since the railway lists no food in the ticket. Our Christmas with kids guide for London collects family events in the capital if you are travelling from there, and another steam option an hour or so west is the Father Christmas Express at Ropley in Hampshire.
Bluebell Santa notes for parents
Pushchairs and prams
Buggies and prams are not suitable on the platforms and carriages, according to the railway. Leave them at Sheffield Park and collect them on your return. A sling or carrier is the practical answer for babies, and older toddlers should expect to walk around the fair. If your child is not a confident walker yet, ask the railway how far it is from the platform to the fair at Horsted Keynes.
Toilets on the way to Horsted Keynes
The Santa Specials page does not describe toilets or baby changing facilities on the train or at Horsted Keynes. Ask the Bluebell Railway where the nearest toilets are at each station and whether there is a changing table before you travel.
Heating and clothing on the Bluebell
The railway says some attractions are outdoors and families should dress for winter. It does not say how the carriages are heated, so layers that come off easily are best: a warm coat over a jumper rather than a snowsuit a child will overheat in on the train.
Parking and arrival at Sheffield Park
The station address is Sheffield Park Station, East Sussex, TN22 3QL. Parking and step-free access details are not stated on the Santa page, so check the railway's visitor information or call them. Arrive early: trains do not wait and missed departures are not refunded. The railway's Santa page also gives no public transport advice, so if you are not driving, ask the Bluebell how best to reach Sheffield Park before booking a morning train.
Why the Bluebell will not wait
Because the line runs four departures a day with fixed slots, the railway is strict about time. Allow for slow roads on December weekends, for the walk from the car and for leaving the pushchair. Families who arrive with a few minutes to spare tend to start the day calmer than those who run for the train.
Tickets and accessibility
Booking is online through the railway's vTicket system, where you choose between private compartments and reserved open-carriage seats. The page does not say how many wheelchair spaces there are; if anyone in your group uses one, contact the railway before booking to ask which carriage and platform arrangements apply.
Dogs on the Bluebell
No dogs are allowed on the Santa Specials except registered assistance dogs, so plan for the family dog to stay at home. If someone usually walks the dog in the morning, a 1pm or 2.05pm departure leaves time for that first.
Photos with Santa
A photo opportunity is included in the ticket. The page does not say whether a professional photo is sold as well, so bring your own phone or camera and ask the railway if you want a printed picture.
A Bluebell Santa bag that copes without a buggy
With no pushchair to hang things on and a fair outside at the far end, pack light and pack for rain.
- A sling or carrier, since buggies stay behind at Sheffield Park
- Waterproof coats and wellies for the outdoor fair
- A small backpack with room for the toy from Santa and the activity pack, so your hands stay free
- Pencils or crayons for the activity pack on the train
- A flask of something hot and snacks, as food is not listed in the ticket
- Hats and gloves for queuing at the fairground rides
- A phone with charge for the photo opportunity
- Your booking confirmation, with your departure time written down
The Bluebell Railway Santa season by numbers
- 12 Santa dates in 2026, from 28 November to 24 December
- 4 departures a day: 10am, 11.05am, 1pm and 2.05pm
- About 2 hours for the whole outing
- About 11 miles (17.7 km): today's full length of the Bluebell Railway
- 1882: the year the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway opened
- 1960: the year volunteers ran their first trains from Sheffield Park
- 4.5 miles (7.2 km): the length of that first preserved stretch
- 2013: the year the line reached East Grinstead
Getting to Sheffield Park from Brighton and London
Sheffield Park is a rural station reached by car through the Sussex lanes; times below are approximate without traffic, and you should allow extra on December weekends.
| From | Drive time (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Brighton | about 40 minutes |
| London | about 1 hour 30 minutes |
More Santa steam trains in the South East
If the Bluebell dates do not fit, these are the closest Santa trains in our UK guide.
- Kent & East Sussex Railway Santa trains with presents at your seat Tenterden, South East England
- Watercress Line Father Christmas Express in Hampshire Ropley, South East England
- Steam Dreams Christmas departures from London Victoria London, London
More for Christmas train families
Bluebell Railway Santa Specials: questions from parents
When do the Bluebell Railway Santa Specials run in 2026?
They run on 28 and 29 November and on 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 December 2026.
How much does the Bluebell Santa Special cost?
Prices start from £35 per adult and from £10 per child. The full grid, including private compartments, is shown on the booking system.
How do I book the Bluebell Railway Santa train?
Book online through the vTicket link on the Bluebell Railway Santa Specials page. The railway advises booking early.
Do babies travel free on the Bluebell Santa Specials?
The railway's page does not state a free age. Check child fares for babies on the booking system or ask the railway before you book.
How long is the Bluebell Railway Santa trip?
The outing takes about two hours in total, including the return train and time at the Christmas fair at Horsted Keynes.
Where does the Bluebell Santa train leave from?
All Santa Specials leave from Sheffield Park Station, East Sussex, TN22 3QL, and run to Horsted Keynes and back.
Is there parking at Sheffield Park for the Santa Specials?
Parking details are not given on the Santa page. Check the railway's visitor information or call them before you travel.
Can I take a pushchair on the Bluebell Santa train?
No. Buggies and prams are not suitable on the platforms and carriages, so you leave them at Sheffield Park and collect them on return.
Are there toilets on the Bluebell Railway Santa Special?
Toilets are not covered on the Bluebell Santa page. Ask the railway about toilets and baby changing at Sheffield Park, on board and at Horsted Keynes.
Are the Bluebell Santa carriages heated?
The page does not describe heating. It does say some attractions are outdoors, so dress the family for winter.
Do children get a present on the Bluebell Santa Special?
Yes. Every child receives a collectible toy from Santa and an activity pack, and there is a photo opportunity.
Is food included on the Bluebell Railway Santa train?
Mince pies and drinks are not mentioned on the Santa Specials page, so bring snacks or ask what is on sale.
What is at Horsted Keynes on the Bluebell Santa Special?
Your ticket includes entry to a Christmas fair at Horsted Keynes with fairground rides and other family attractions.
Which Bluebell Santa departure is best with a baby?
A morning train at 10am or 11.05am usually suits babies best, as they are fresher and the fair is quieter. Bring a sling, as pushchairs stay behind.
What if it rains on the Bluebell Railway Santa day?
The trains run as booked and some of the fair is outdoors, so bring waterproofs and wellies.
When did the Bluebell Railway first open as a heritage line?
Volunteers ran their first preserved trains on 7 August 1960, over about 4.5 miles of line from Sheffield Park.
How old is the Bluebell Railway line?
The Lewes and East Grinstead Railway, whose northern half the Bluebell runs on today, opened on 1 August 1882.
What can we do near Sheffield Park in December?
The Christmas fair at Horsted Keynes is included in the ticket, the National Trust's Sheffield Park and Garden is nearby, and Brighton is about 40 minutes away by car.
Are there other Santa trains near Brighton and London besides the Bluebell Railway?
Yes. Our UK Santa trains hub lists them, including the Kent & East Sussex Railway at Tenterden, the Watercress Line at Ropley and Steam Dreams trains from London Victoria.
Can we bring the dog on the Bluebell Santa Special?
No. Only registered assistance dogs are allowed on the Santa Specials.
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 in South East England.
Sources
- Bluebell Railway: official page (bluebell-railway.com) (opens in a new tab)
- Bluebell Railway (Wikipedia) (opens in a new tab)
- Sheffield Park and Garden (Wikipedia) (opens in a new tab)
Checked on the railway’s official pages on 4 November 2026. This train is run by Bluebell Railway. Rally Takes the Train is a children’s picture book; we are not partners with or affiliated to the railway. Book only on the official site and check dates and fares before you travel.
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