Santa Specials — Bluebell Railway

The Bluebell Railway runs its Santa Specials from Sheffield Park Station through the Sussex countryside to Horsted Keynes behind a heritage steam locomotive. Passengers ride in their own compartment or in open carriages with reserved seats, and every child finds a specially designed activity pack waiting at their seat.

At Horsted Keynes the station becomes a traditional Christmas fair with classic fairground rides and family attractions included in the ticket price, seasonal stalls and festive treats. Every child receives a collectible toy presented by Santa himself.

The operator says the whole experience takes around two hours, and that its trains run on strict timings because of the event.

Around two hours in all: the steam journey from Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes, time at the Christmas fair there with fairground rides, stalls and festive treats, then the return. Each child has an activity pack at their seat and receives a collectible toy from Santa. Some of the attractions are not under cover, so bring suitable winter clothing.

Departs from Sheffield Park Station, East Sussex TN22 3QL. Prompt arrival is essential: the operator cannot hold its trains, and a missed train cannot be refunded or rescheduled. Services use two carriage sets, so not every ticket type is offered on every departure. No dogs are permitted on these services, as the operator considers the event unsafe for pets; registered support dogs are the only exception. Buggies and prams are not suitable because of limited platform and compartment space; if necessary they can be left at Sheffield Park and collected on return. Single open-coach seats are few and are sold in pairs (2, 4, 6 people); compartments are sold by the compartment. Children under 3 can be booked without a seat.