Stanhope sits high in Weardale, in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and from its little station the Santa Express runs down the valley to Wolsingham and back in just under an hour. Santa visits, every child gets a gift, and the season runs from 28 November to Christmas Eve 2026. To compare it with other lines across the country, open our UK Santa Specials guide.
The short version
- Dates: 28 November to 24 December 2026; individual dates are shown on the booking site
- Departure: Stanhope station (DL13 2YS), round trip to Wolsingham in just under an hour
- Price: Gold tickets from £33, VIP from £43
- Booking: at santaexpress.co.uk; questions go to elves@santaexpress.co.uk, not the railway's main team
- Tip: parking is free, a short walk from Stanhope station
The Weardale Santa Express at a glance
- Railway
- Weardale Railway
- Departs from
- Stanhope station, Stanhope, County Durham DL13 2YS
- 2026 dates
- Season from 28 November to 24 December 2026 (individual dates on the booking site)
- Duration
- Just under an hour, Stanhope to Wolsingham and back
- Fares
- Gold from £33 (standard experience, visit from Santa, gift for each child, shared table seating); VIP from £43 (extra space and comfort). The railway's announcement offered 10% off with the code EARLYBIRD for a limited time.
- Booking
- Online at santaexpress.co.uk. Enquiries to elves@santaexpress.co.uk rather than the main railway team.
- 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 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.
Down the dale and back: what happens on the Weardale Santa Express
Arriving in Stanhope
Stanhope is a small town in upper Weardale, and the Santa Express starts from its station. The railway says there is free parking a short walk from the station, so you can leave the car without paying and walk the last few minutes with the children.
Departure times are shown only on the booking site, santaexpress.co.uk, which we could not open when preparing this page. Your ticket will give your time; aim to arrive early enough to park, walk to the station and find your seats without rushing. If anything on your ticket is unclear, the Santa Express team asks for questions to go to elves@santaexpress.co.uk.
The ride to Wolsingham
The train runs from Stanhope down the valley to Wolsingham and back, a round trip of just under an hour. The route follows the River Wear through the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so on a clear day the views from the window are part of the treat. The railway has not said whether the Santa Express is hauled by steam or diesel, so if your child is set on a steam engine, ask before you book.
Just under an hour is a good length for young families: long enough to feel like a proper outing, short enough that toddlers will not have run out of patience before Santa appears.
The information we found does not mention getting off at Wolsingham, so expect to stay aboard for the whole round trip unless your ticket says otherwise. That keeps the hour simple for families: no platforms to manage halfway, just the valley outside and Santa somewhere along the way.
Santa, the gift and your table
On Gold tickets, the standard experience includes a visit from Santa and a gift for each child, with seating at shared tables. That means you may sit with another family, which many children enjoy, as there is someone new to compare presents with.
VIP tickets add extra space and comfort. The announcement does not list every difference, so read the description on the booking site to see exactly what VIP includes on your chosen date, and whether it means a private table.
What we could not confirm
Because santaexpress.co.uk would not load for us, a few details are missing from this page: the exact list of dates, the departure times, whether there are treats for adults, and where on the train Santa makes his visit. None of this changes whether the trip is worth booking, but it is worth reading the booking site's own description carefully, and sending the elves one short email with all your questions at once rather than several separate ones.
Back in Stanhope
After the train returns, you are free to explore Stanhope before the drive home, and families from Durham or Newcastle can make a half day of it without a long journey either side. If you want to pair the trip with a festive market, Durham's Christmas Festival in early December is the closest confirmed event we found.
Gold or VIP, early or late in the season: choosing your Weardale ticket
The Weardale Santa Express runs across almost the whole of Advent, so the main choices are the ticket type and how close to Christmas you go.
Gold or VIP. Gold tickets start from £33 and include everything the children care about: Santa's visit and a gift each. VIP tickets, from £43, add extra space and comfort. With a baby or a toddler who needs room to wriggle, the extra space can be worth paying for. With confident school-age children, Gold's shared tables are part of the fun.
Grandparents and bigger groups. Shared table seating on Gold tickets means a group of six or eight may be split across tables, depending on the layout. If keeping the whole family together matters, ask the elves how tables are allocated, or look at VIP, which offers more space.
Babies. A trip of under an hour is one of the easiest Santa trains for a baby. The page does not say whether babies need their own ticket, so check the age rules on santaexpress.co.uk or email the elves before booking.
Preschoolers. This is a sensible length for pre-schoolers, and the gift is guaranteed. A morning departure usually works best for children who still nap, but check which times are available on your date.
Older children. Older children may enjoy watching the dale go by more than meeting Santa. Late-season dates, closer to Christmas, feel more festive for them, while early dates leave more time for a second Christmas outing.
Budget. The posted prices are 'from' prices, so expect some dates or times to cost more. The early-bird code from the railway's announcement was described as available for a limited time, so it may no longer apply; try it at checkout, but budget for full price.
Weather. Upper Weardale is high, open country, and December can bring frost or snow. Earlier dates in late November and early December may give you a little more daylight for the drive.
Christmas Eve. The season ends on 24 December, and a ride that morning can be a memorable start to the big day. Expect those dates to be popular, and have a back-up date ready when you book.
Cement trains, closures and a valley line its supporters would not let go
According to the Weardale Railway's own history pages, the story starts in 1843, when the Bishop Auckland and Weardale Railway opened from Shildon Junction to Crook. The Wear Valley line followed in August 1847, running from Witton Junction to Frosterley; the history gives both 3 August and 8 August for the opening, so we leave the exact day open. Wolsingham station opened the same year.
Stanhope, where your Santa train starts, was reached in 1862, and the line was pushed on up the dale to Wearhead on 21 October 1895. At its fullest the railway ran for about 25 miles from Bishop Auckland to Wearhead.
Stanhope's station has its own small chapter. When the line was extended to Wearhead, a new station was built at Stanhope in 1895, at a cost the railway's history gives as £2,700. In 1992 Wear Valley District Council bought the station building, and its renovation was finished in early 1995, nine years before the line was bought by Weardale Railways Limited in 2004.
Passenger trains were withdrawn in June 1953, but freight kept the line alive. Goods to Wearhead ended in 1961, and in 1968 the line was cut back to Eastgate, where a cement works had been established in 1964. Cement trains ran until 17 March 1993.
Even before the cement traffic stopped, passengers had begun to return: a summer Sunday service ran to Stanhope from 1988 to 1992, with a refurbished platform. In 1993 the Weardale Railway Preservation Society was formed to save the line, and in 2004 the line was bought by Weardale Railways Limited and trains ran again between Stanhope and Wolsingham, the very stretch your Santa Express uses. Heritage services later reached Bishop Auckland West, from 1 July 2018.
- 1843The Bishop Auckland and Weardale Railway opens from Shildon Junction to Crook
- 1847The Wear Valley line opens to Frosterley, and Wolsingham station opens
- 1862The line is extended to Stanhope
- 1895Trains reach Wearhead on 21 October
- 1953Passenger trains are withdrawn in June
- 1993Cement trains from Eastgate end and the Preservation Society is formed
- 2004Stanhope to Wolsingham reopens under Weardale Railways Limited
- 2018Heritage services resume to Bishop Auckland West on 1 July
The history also lists the stations along the way, among them Frosterley and Wolsingham, both dating from 1847, and Eastgate, still the end of the line. Your Santa train covers only the Stanhope to Wolsingham stretch, which is enough for little ones.
For a six-year-old: long ago this railway carried cement and goods out of the valley, and when the big trains stopped, people who loved it got together so that families could ride along the river again.
Weardale in December and a festive weekend in Durham
The closest confirmed Christmas event to Stanhope that we found is in Durham, about 40 minutes away by car. The Durham Christmas Festival runs from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December 2026, with a craft and producers' marquee on Palace Green, according to the festival's ticketing page. A Santa Express ride on Saturday 5 or Sunday 6 December, if available, could share a weekend with it.
In Weardale itself, December is quiet and the landscape is the attraction. If the weather is fine, a short walk by the River Wear in Stanhope after your ride gives children a chance to run around before the car. On a wet day, plan to head home or into Durham instead.
Families coming from Darlington, about 45 minutes away, or from Bishop Auckland, lower down the same valley, pass through some of the towns this railway once served. It is a nice point to make to children on the drive: they can look out for the River Wear, which the train will run beside.
If you are in the North East for a few days, the nearest other Christmas train is at Tanfield, near Stanley. Be aware that Tanfield's North Pole Express, which is sold out for 2026, has no seats left on any date, so Weardale is the realistic local option this year. For a bigger day out, the Santa Express on the North York Moors from Pickering is a longer drive south.
For more family plans across Tyneside, Wearside and County Durham, our guide to Christmas with kids in the Newcastle area lists grottos, light trails and indoor events we have checked for 2026.
Further afield, families who enjoy narrow-gauge steam can head west into Cumbria, where the miniature Santa steam train up Eskdale from Ravenglass runs on many dates up to Christmas Eve. It is a long drive from Weardale, so treat it as part of a Lakes break rather than a day trip.
Stanhope station notes: parking, the elves' inbox and questions to ask
Who to contact
The Santa Express has its own team and inbox. The railway asks for questions to go to elves@santaexpress.co.uk rather than its main office, so write there about times, ticket rules, access and anything else on this list.
Parking and arrival at Stanhope
Free parking is available a short walk from Stanhope station. With small children, allow a few extra minutes for the walk, especially if it is icy, and drop off anyone with mobility needs nearer the station if you can.
Getting the right ticket type
Gold and VIP are the two ticket tiers named by the railway. Before paying, check on the booking site whether the price is per person or per table, whether children and adults pay the same, and whether a booking fee is added. Ask too whether VIP seats are in a separate carriage, as this affects how easily you can step out with a restless toddler.
Pushchairs and accessibility at Stanhope
The railway's announcement does not mention pushchairs or wheelchair access. Ask the elves' inbox whether pushchairs can travel folded on board or be left at the station, and whether there is step-free access to the train at Stanhope.
Toilets and heating on the Weardale Santa Express
Toilets and heating are not described in the information we found. For a ride of just under an hour this matters less than on a longer trip, but ask whether there is a toilet on board or at Stanhope station, and whether the carriages are heated.
Tickets and dates
The railway's announcement gives the season as 28 November to 24 December 2026 but does not list individual dates or times; those are on santaexpress.co.uk. Prices are 'from' prices, so the final cost may vary by date.
Weather at Stanhope
Stanhope is in the upper dale, and roads over the North Pennines can be affected by snow. Check the forecast and the Santa Express website before setting off, and keep warm layers in the car.
Food and treats
The railway's announcement mentions Santa and a gift for each child but does not say whether drinks or snacks are served on board. Bring a small snack and a drink for each child, and ask the elves whether food can be bought at Stanhope on Santa Express days.
Dogs on the Weardale Santa Express
Dogs are not mentioned in the announcement or on the booking pages we could read. If you hope to bring one, email the elves first, and think about how a dog will cope with Santa and a carriage of excited children.
What to bring on the Weardale Santa Express
A short ride from a small station means you can travel light, but the dale can be cold.
- Your santaexpress.co.uk booking confirmation
- Warm coats, hats and gloves for the walk from the car park
- A small bag for each child's gift from Santa
- Something to do at a shared table, such as a colouring book
- A camera or phone for Santa's visit
- Grip-soled boots in case of frost on the walk to the station
- A flask of something hot for the drive back down the dale
- Spare wipes and a nappy change kit, as toilets on board are not confirmed
The Weardale line and its Santa Express in numbers
- 1862: year the railway reached Stanhope
- About 25 miles: the original line from Bishop Auckland to Wearhead
- 1953: year passenger trains were first withdrawn
- 2004: year trains returned between Stanhope and Wolsingham
- Just under 1 hour: the Santa Express round trip
- From £33: a Gold ticket for 2026
- 27 days: the span of the 2026 season, 28 November to 24 December
- £2,700: the cost of Stanhope's new station in 1895, as recorded by the railway
Driving to Stanhope from Durham, Newcastle and Darlington
Stanhope lies on the A689 in upper Weardale, with free parking a short walk from the station; times below are approximate without traffic.
| From | Drive time (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Durham | about 40 minutes |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | about 1 hour |
| Darlington | about 45 minutes |
More Christmas trains from the North East and beyond
These are the nearest Santa trains to Stanhope on our list; the closest one is sold out for 2026.
- Tanfield Railway North Pole Express near Stanley Stanley, North East England
- Santa Express on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway Pickering, Yorkshire and the Humber
- Tinsel Train between Haverthwaite and Lakeside Haverthwaite, North West England
More for Christmas train families
Weardale Railway Santa Express: questions from parents
When does the Weardale Railway Santa Express run in 2026?
From 28 November to 24 December 2026. Individual dates and times are shown on the booking site, santaexpress.co.uk.
How much is the Weardale Santa Express?
Gold tickets start from £33 and VIP tickets from £43. Prices are 'from' prices and may vary by date.
How do I book the Santa Express from Stanhope?
Book online at santaexpress.co.uk. Questions go to elves@santaexpress.co.uk rather than the railway's main team.
Is there an early-bird discount on the Weardale Santa Express?
The railway's announcement offered 10% off with the code EARLYBIRD for a limited time. It may have ended, so check at checkout.
Do babies go free on the Weardale Railway Santa Express?
The railway's announcement does not say. Email elves@santaexpress.co.uk or check the age rules on the booking site.
How long is the Weardale Santa Express?
The round trip from Stanhope to Wolsingham and back takes just under an hour.
Where does the Weardale Santa Express leave from?
From Stanhope station, County Durham DL13 2YS. Free parking is a short walk away.
Can I take a pushchair on the Weardale Santa Express?
The information we found does not say. Ask elves@santaexpress.co.uk how pushchairs are handled before you travel.
Are there toilets on the Weardale Railway Santa train?
Toilets are not mentioned in the announcement. Ask the Santa Express team, especially if you have a toddler.
Is the Weardale Santa Express heated?
Heating is not described in the information we found. Dress children warmly, as Stanhope can be cold in December.
Does Santa visit on the Weardale Santa Express?
Yes. Gold and VIP tickets both include a visit from Santa and a gift for each child.
What is the difference between Gold and VIP on the Weardale Santa Express?
Gold includes the standard experience, Santa, a gift for each child and shared table seating. VIP adds extra space and comfort.
What is the best Weardale Santa Express ticket with a baby?
VIP's extra space can help with a baby, and a morning departure usually suits nap times. The short trip works well either way.
What is the weather like for the Weardale Santa Express?
Upper Weardale is high and exposed, and December can bring frost or snow. Check the forecast before driving over the dale.
When did the railway first reach Stanhope?
The line was extended to Stanhope in 1862, and on to Wearhead in 1895.
When did the Weardale Railway reopen to passengers?
After summer Sunday trains from 1988 to 1992, the line was bought in 2004 and trains ran again between Stanhope and Wolsingham.
Is there a Christmas market near Stanhope in 2026?
The Durham Christmas Festival, about 40 minutes away, runs from 4 to 6 December 2026 on Palace Green.
Are there other Santa trains near Durham or Newcastle besides Weardale?
The Tanfield Railway's North Pole Express is sold out for 2026. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway at Pickering is further south, and our UK Santa trains guide lists every ride.
Is the Weardale Santa Express wheelchair accessible?
Accessibility is not described in the announcement. Email elves@santaexpress.co.uk to ask about step-free access at Stanhope.
Can dogs travel on the Weardale Railway Santa Express?
The information we found does not mention dogs. Ask the Santa Express team 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 East England.
Sources
- Weardale Railway: official page (weardale-railway.org.uk) (opens in a new tab)
- Official booking (weardalerailway.seetickets.com) (opens in a new tab)
- More information (raildays.org) (opens in a new tab)
- History (Weardale Railway) (opens in a new tab)
- Durham Christmas Festival 2026 (Durham University) (opens in a new tab)
Checked on the railway’s official pages on 4 November 2026. This train is run by Weardale 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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