Santa Specials — Apedale Valley Light Railway

The Apedale Valley Light Railway, operated by the Moseley Railway Trust in Apedale Country Park near Newcastle-under-Lyme, runs Santa Specials in the weeks before Christmas. Passengers board the train at the platform next to the Apedale Heritage Centre.

The operator describes a 15-minute round trip during which Santa meets the train and comes back to the station with the passengers. The children can then meet Santa in his grotto. Families can wait for their train in the warmth of the Apedale Heritage Centre and its cafe, where the operator says Santa likes the oatcakes.

The fare includes a ride on the steam train for everybody, the chance for children to meet Santa, a quality present for each child and a hot drink for each adult. Santa has gifts for four age groups: birth to one year, one to three years, three to eight years and eight years and over. Older children who do not need a gift can travel as adults, and babies in arms travel free if no present is required.

A 15-minute round trip on a steam train, with Santa meeting the train on the way, then a visit to Santa's grotto where each child receives a present chosen for their age group, and a hot drink for adults. Waiting passengers can stay in the Heritage Centre and its cafe.

Boards at the platform next to the Apedale Heritage Centre, Apedale Country Park, Loomer Road, Chesterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. For satellite navigation the operator recommends postcode ST5 7LB, a postcode on the approach road to the country park rather than at the railway; continue along Loomer Road into the country park to the car parks by the Heritage Centre. There is no access to the railway for cars. Advance tickets are booked on the operator's Santa website by choosing a date and a train and paying through PayPal; tickets are collected on the day from the station, and each day has an online booking deadline. Tickets on the day are available only if there is space on the trains. Gifts are prepared for children by age group, so the age of each child is asked when booking.