This short line runs beside Preston's old dock and over the swing bridge at its entrance, and at Christmas Mother Christmas and her elves ride along, with the museum's festive activities still fresh in the children's minds. Santa's Steam Train Adventure runs on at least five December dates in 2026 from Chain Caul Road. For other Lancashire and North West options, our full list of Christmas trains in the UK has a page for every ride we have checked.
The short version
- Dates seen so far: 5, 6, 12, 13 and 22 December 2026; more dates may be listed on the booking site
- Departure: Ribble Steam Railway, Chain Caul Road, Preston PR2 2PD
- Price: £27.50, as posted by the railway (age bands not given)
- Booking: online only through Fox & Edwards Events, not through the railway
- Tip: the format has changed slightly from previous years, so read the new description before you book
Santa's Steam Train Adventure at a glance
- Railway
- Ribble Steam Railway (tickets by Fox & Edwards Events)
- Departs from
- Ribble Steam Railway, Chain Caul Road, Preston PR2 2PD
- 2026 dates
- At least 5, 6, 12, 13 and 22 December 2026 (the railway lists each date on a separate event page)
- Times
- Listed as 'All Day'; your time slot is shown when booking
- Fares
- £27.50 per ticket as shown by the railway; age bands are not given
- Booking
- Online booking essential through Fox & Edwards Events. Organiser email: tickets@foxandedwards.com. Railway phone: 01772 728800.
- 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 North West 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.
Museum fun, Mother Christmas and a dockside steam ride: the Preston Santa day
It starts indoors, in the museum
Unlike many Santa trains, this one begins with time inside. The railway's event page describes festive activities in the museum building before you board, which is a gift on a cold Lancashire morning: children can warm up, burn off some energy and get excited without standing on a windy platform.
The museum is part of the same site at Chain Caul Road, so there is no separate journey. The railway lists the event times only as 'All Day', which means your exact slot comes from the booking. Check your confirmation from Fox & Edwards Events for when to arrive.
For parents, the museum start also takes the pressure off arrival. If the car park is busy or a toddler needs a nappy change, you are not watching a train pull away without you. Use those first minutes to hang up coats, find the toilets and let children get used to the sounds and smells of a steam railway before they climb aboard.
On the train with Mother Christmas
Once you board, Mother Christmas and her elves travel with you. Every child receives a Christmas story book, and children also get juice, a baked treat and an activity book, while adults get a mince pie. It is a sociable, storytelling kind of ride rather than a quiet sightseeing one, and it suits children who like to chat.
The train is steam-hauled and runs along the line through the docks. The railway describes its line as about a mile and a half long, crossing the swing bridge at the dock entrance, and its normal return trip is around three miles. The Santa event page does not give the length of the Christmas ride itself, so ask the organiser if timing matters to you.
Because Mother Christmas and the elves are in the carriage with you, this part of the day is lively. Expect songs, chatter and questions, and let quieter children watch from the window seat until they feel ready to join in. The story book handed out on board makes a good anchor for a shy child: something to hold and look at while the characters move around.
Santa and the gift
Santa himself gives each child a gift. The page does not say exactly where in the day this happens, on the train or back at the museum, so keep cameras charged throughout. With Mother Christmas, the elves and Santa all part of the programme, children meet more than one festive character, which helps if they are unsure about the big man at first.
A format that is new for 2026
The railway notes that the format is slightly different from previous years. If you have been before, do not assume the day will run exactly as it did. The safest approach is to read the Fox & Edwards description in full and email tickets@foxandedwards.com with any question before you book, rather than relying on what friends remember from an earlier year.
Weekend or the Tuesday before Christmas: choosing your Preston Docks departure
The dates confirmed on the railway's own pages are Saturday 5, Sunday 6, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December, plus Tuesday 22 December. The railway has a separate event page for each date and not all of them were checked, so there may be more dates on the booking site.
Babies. Starting indoors in the museum is a real advantage with a baby. You can feed and change in the warm before boarding, and the train ride itself is short. Ask the organiser whether babies need their own ticket, as the posted £27.50 price does not show age bands.
From two to five. The mix of characters, activities and a short steam ride works well at this age. Early slots on a weekend tend to suit toddlers who still nap after lunch. Children of this age will love the story book; it gives you something to read together in the car home.
Older children. School-age children get the activity book and may enjoy the museum's exhibits as much as the Christmas programme. If you can take a day off, the Tuesday before Christmas is likely to feel more festive, with the holidays almost here.
Budget. At £27.50 per ticket, as posted, this is one of the more affordable Santa steam trains in the North West, and it includes something for the adults too in the form of a mince pie. Check whether the price is per person for adults and children alike when you book, and whether a booking fee applies.
Weather. Preston Docks are open and exposed to wind off the estuary, but the indoor museum part of the day softens the impact of a wet morning. If it is very cold, a slot early in the day keeps the drive home in daylight.
Which weekend. The first weekend, 5 and 6 December, gives you the longest run-up to Christmas, and the story book will be read many times before the big day. The second weekend sits in the busiest part of the season. If a weekend is already full when you look, check the Tuesday date and any further dates on the Fox & Edwards site before switching to another railway.
Preston's dock railway and the Southport museum that moved here
The track your Santa train uses has a long working past. According to the Ribble Steam Railway's own short history, Preston's docks were first joined to the national rail network in 1846, by a branch running from the station down to Strand Road. The town later decided to build a new, purpose-built dock: the corporation voted for it in 1882, work began in 1884, diverting the river, and the dock was completed in 1892. By the 1920s the railway lines serving it were estimated to total around 27 miles.
The dock closed in 1981 and most of its railway was taken up. A single new line was built in 1985 to serve a Petrofina installation on Chain Caul Way, and that line became the backbone of today's heritage railway.
The other half of the story starts in Southport. The Southport Locomotive and Transport Museum Society was formed in 1971 and opened its Steamport site, in an old Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway engine shed of 1890, to the public in 1974. Steamport ran passenger trains on the Preston dock railway during the Preston Guild of 1992, and the decision to move the whole operation to Preston followed. Southport closed to the public in 1997, a 105-year lease on the Chain Caul Road site was signed in 2000, and the museum building there was completed in 2004.
The Ribble Steam Railway opened to passengers on 17 September 2005. In 2009 the Furness Railway Trust moved its collection there from Haverthwaite, home of the Lakeside line's Tinsel Train with private compartments, so the two railways share a slice of history. Unusually for a heritage line, the railway also carried real freight: it operated the last stretch of a bitumen service until 2024.
Look out for the engine names as you board. The railway's history mentions Agecroft No. 2, which hauled the 1992 Guild trains and the first passenger trains in 2005; whether it is in steam on your Santa date is something to ask the railway, not something to promise the children.
- 1846Preston's docks are linked to the national railway by a branch to Strand Road
- 1892The new purpose-built dock is completed after eight years of work
- 1971The Southport Locomotive and Transport Museum Society is formed
- 1974Steamport at Southport opens to the public
- 1981Preston Dock closes and much of its railway is lifted
- 1992Steamport runs passenger trains on the dock railway for the Preston Guild
- 2005The Ribble Steam Railway opens to passengers on 17 September
- 2024Bitumen freight trains on the line come to an end
For a six-year-old: big ships used to sail right into Preston, and trains came to the water's edge to load them. When the ships stopped coming, train lovers from Southport brought their engines here so the old dock railway could keep running.
Making a December day of it around Preston and the Ribble
The railway sits on the edge of Preston's docks, close to the city centre, so a Santa trip can be combined with an afternoon in town. We have not yet confirmed dates for Preston's 2026 Christmas markets or lights, so check Preston City Council's events pages for the current year before you plan around them.
Because the museum is part of the visit, the railway site itself can fill a good part of the day, especially for children who like engines. If the weather is kind, a walk around the dock basin afterwards gives children a look at the swing bridge their train has just crossed.
If you are coming from the Fylde coast, Blackpool is roughly half an hour away by car, so a Santa morning in Preston can be followed by an afternoon by the sea. Plan any extras for after the train, not before: children who have just met Santa are usually happy to sit in a car, while children waiting to meet him rarely are.
Preston is also a good base for comparing Christmas trains across Lancashire. South-east of Preston, the East Lancashire Railway's Santa Specials at Bury offer a longer valley ride. To the north, the Lakes have their own Christmas trains, and over the Pennines the Keighley & Worth Valley's Elf Explorer from Oxenhope runs up the Worth Valley in West Yorkshire.
Liverpool and Manchester are each about fifty minutes away by car. If you are travelling from Merseyside, our guide to Christmas days out with children around Liverpool lists grottos, light trails and other family events we have checked for 2026, which you might combine with the train on a different day.
Back at home, the activity book from the train is a good rainy-day follow-up in the week before Christmas.
Booking through Fox & Edwards, pushchairs and other Ribble Steam details
Who sells the tickets
Tickets are sold by Fox & Edwards Events, not by the railway's own booking office, and online booking is essential. For questions about your booking, email the organiser at tickets@foxandedwards.com. For questions about the site, the railway's phone number is 01772 728800.
Prices and age bands
The railway shows a price of £27.50 but no age bands. Before paying, check on the booking page whether adults and children pay the same, whether babies need a ticket and whether a booking fee is added.
Previous years and reviews
Because the railway says the 2026 format is slightly different, reviews and photos from earlier Christmases may not match what you will find this year. Use them for a feel of the site and the train, but rely on the current Fox & Edwards description for what is included, and keep the booking email handy on the day.
Pushchairs and accessibility at Preston Docks
The Santa event page does not mention pushchairs or wheelchair access. As the day includes both the museum building and the train, ask the railway on 01772 728800 how pushchairs are handled on board and whether there is step-free access to the carriages.
Toilets and heating on the Ribble Steam train
Toilets and heating are not described on the event page. Starting in the museum building means you are indoors for part of the visit, but ask the railway whether the carriages are heated and where the nearest toilets are once you board.
Parking and arrival at Preston Docks
The railway's address is Chain Caul Road, Preston PR2 2PD, on the docks. Parking is not covered on the event page, so check the railway's visitor information or ask when booking. Allow extra time on December Saturdays, when roads into Preston can be busy.
Dates you have not seen yet
The railway publishes a separate page for each Santa date, and only some were checked for this guide. If 5, 6, 12, 13 and 22 December do not suit, look at the full Fox & Edwards listing for Lancashire before giving up.
Food on the day
Children receive juice and a baked treat and adults get a mince pie, but the event page does not mention a café or lunch. If your slot runs over a mealtime, bring a packed lunch or plan to eat in Preston afterwards, and ask the railway whether food can be bought on site during Santa days.
Weather at Preston Docks
The docks are flat and open, and the wind off the Ribble can feel sharp in December. Because part of the visit is indoors, this is one of the better Santa trains for a rainy day, but you will still walk outside between the museum and the train, so pack hats and waterproofs.
What to take to the Ribble Steam Railway's Santa day
Indoor activities, a steam ride and several characters mean a slightly bigger bag than for a simple shuttle train.
- Your Fox & Edwards e-ticket and booking reference
- Crayons or pencils for the activity book on board
- A tote for the story book, gift and treats
- Wipes for juice and baked-treat fingers
- A warm hat and coat for the dockside walk to the train
- A charged phone for photos with Mother Christmas and Santa
- A spare top for little ones after museum activities
- A packed snack or lunch, as no café is mentioned for Santa days
The Ribble Steam Railway in numbers
- 1846: year Preston's docks were first linked to the railway
- About 27 miles: estimated length of the dock railways in the 1920s
- 1.5 miles: length of today's line, crossing the dock swing bridge
- About 3 miles: a normal return trip on the heritage railway
- 2005: year the railway opened to passengers, on 17 September
- 105 years: length of the lease signed for the site in 2000
- 5: Santa dates confirmed on the railway's own pages for 2026
- £27.50: the ticket price shown by the railway for each 2026 date
Getting to Preston Docks from Blackpool, Manchester and Liverpool
The railway is on Chain Caul Road by Preston's docks, a short drive from the M6 and M55; times below are approximate without traffic.
| From | Drive time (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Blackpool | about 30 minutes |
| Manchester | about 50 minutes |
| Liverpool | about 50 minutes |
More Santa trains to try from Lancashire
If the Preston dates do not fit, these are the closest Christmas rides on our list.
- Santa Specials on the East Lancashire Railway Bury, North West England
- Elf Explorer on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Oxenhope, Yorkshire and the Humber
- Tinsel Train in the southern Lake District Haverthwaite, North West England
More for Christmas train families
Santa train at the Ribble Steam Railway, Preston: your questions
When is the Ribble Steam Railway Santa train in 2026?
The railway's own pages confirm 5, 6, 12, 13 and 22 December 2026. Other dates may be listed on the Fox & Edwards booking site.
How much is Santa's Steam Train Adventure in Preston?
The railway shows £27.50. Age bands are not given, so check on the booking page whether children and adults pay the same.
How do I book the Preston Santa steam train?
Book online through Fox & Edwards Events, which sells the tickets for the Ribble Steam Railway. Online booking is essential.
Do babies need a ticket for the Ribble Steam Railway Santa train?
The posted price does not show age bands. Email tickets@foxandedwards.com before booking to ask whether under-twos need a ticket.
How long is Santa's Steam Train Adventure at Preston?
The railway lists the event as 'All Day' and does not give a duration. Your time slot appears when you book.
Where does the Ribble Steam Railway Santa train leave from?
From the railway at Chain Caul Road, Preston PR2 2PD, by Preston's docks. Parking details are not on the event page.
Can I bring a pushchair to the Ribble Steam Railway Santa event?
Pushchairs are not covered on the Preston Santa page. Ring the railway on 01772 728800 to ask how pushchairs are handled on the train.
Are there toilets at the Ribble Steam Railway?
The Santa page does not mention toilets. The day starts in the museum building; ask the railway about facilities when you book.
Is the Ribble Steam Railway Santa train heated?
The Ribble Santa page says nothing about heating. The museum part of the day is indoors, but dress children warmly for the train.
Who is on board the Preston Santa train?
Mother Christmas and her elves travel on the train, and Santa gives each child a gift.
What do children get on Santa's Steam Train Adventure in Preston?
A Christmas story book, a gift from Santa, juice, a baked treat and an activity book. Adults get a mince pie.
What is the best Ribble Steam Railway Santa slot for a baby?
An early weekend slot usually suits babies, and the indoor museum start means you can feed and change in the warm.
What is the weather like for the Preston Docks Santa train?
The docks can be windy and wet in December. The museum activities are indoors, so a bad day is easier to manage.
When did the Ribble Steam Railway open?
The railway opened to passengers on 17 September 2005, on the old Preston Dock railway.
Where did the Ribble Steam Railway's collection come from?
Much of it came from Steamport in Southport, a museum that opened in 1974 and moved its operation to Preston.
Does the Ribble Steam Railway cross a swing bridge?
Yes. The line crosses the swing bridge at the entrance to Preston's main dock, which the railway describes as a unique feature.
What else can we do in Preston at Christmas 2026?
We have not confirmed Preston's 2026 Christmas market dates. Check Preston City Council's events pages, and see our Liverpool and Manchester Christmas guides for nearby ideas.
Are there other Santa trains near Manchester or Blackpool besides the Ribble Steam Railway?
Yes. The East Lancashire Railway at Bury and the Keighley & Worth Valley's Elf Explorer at Oxenhope are both within reach. Our UK Santa trains guide lists every ride we have checked.
Is the Ribble Steam Railway Santa train accessible?
Accessibility is not described on the Santa page. Phone 01772 728800 to ask about step-free access to the museum and the train.
Can we bring a dog to the Ribble Steam Railway Santa event?
The event page does not mention dogs. Ask Fox & Edwards Events or the railway before you bring one.
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 North West England.
Sources
- Ribble Steam Railway (tickets by Fox & Edwards Events): official page (ribblesteam.org.uk) (opens in a new tab)
- Ribble Steam Railway (tickets by Fox & Edwards Events): official page (ribblesteam.org.uk) (opens in a new tab)
- A short history of the Ribble Steam Railway (ribblesteam.org.uk) (opens in a new tab)
Checked on the railway’s official pages on 4 November 2026. This train is run by Ribble Steam Railway (tickets by Fox & Edwards Events). 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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