Nikolaus-Express — Hespertalbahn

The Hespertalbahn e.V., a registered association recognised as non-profit, runs a museum railway from the old Kupferdreh station in Essen and sells its Nikolaus-Express as a separate winter special with its own fares. The operator describes a journey of about 75 minutes in colourfully decorated carriages, with reserved and connected seats for all passengers, during which St. Nicholas (Nikolaus) and Knecht Ruprecht visit the train and give gifts to the children.

Accordion music is played on board and mulled wine or cocoa is served. Children can hand in letters to the Christkind, which are answered if the sender's name is clearly legible.

Tickets are sold only online in advance, and the operator marks fully booked trains in its booking calendar. All staff of the Hespertalbahn are volunteers and its phone lines are not staffed regularly, so the operator points visitors with questions about the Nikolaus-Express to a dedicated e-mail contact.

About 75 minutes from the old Kupferdreh station in decorated carriages with reserved seats: a visit from St. Nicholas and Knecht Ruprecht with gifts for the children, accordion music, mulled wine or cocoa, and the chance to hand in a letter to the Christkind.

Trains leave from the old Kupferdreh station (Alter Bahnhof Kupferdreh) in Essen-Kupferdreh on Hauptstraße; the operator's directions mention a car park there, and bus stop Prinz-Friedrich-Straße (lines 153 and 155) is directly at the old station. The Hardenbergufer promenade on the Baldeneysee starts a few metres away. Tickets are sold only online in advance and are paid by PayPal or by invoice due within 14 days (unpaid orders are cancelled without notice); they are e-mailed at least two weeks before the trip. A handling fee is added per order. Pets and strollers are not allowed. Wheelchair users and groups who want to sit together state this in the "special seat requests" field of the order form. Questions: nikolaus@hespertalbahn.de.