The much-loved family tradition is returning this festive season, ready to once again delight children from across the Midlands and beyond.

You can soon experience the magic of the season as you embark on a festive journey like no other. Running from 23 November to Christmas Eve, Great Central Railway invites you aboard our renowned heritage steam locomotives for an enchanting travel experience.

The famous heritage steam locomotives will puff passengers along on a magical journey through the gorgeous vintage Loughborough Station before winding its way through the wintery Charnwood countryside to Leicester North before returning to Loughborough with a very special passenger on aboard… along with a few of his helpers of course!

This year, the Express is excited to include a special stop along the Swithland Viaduct to allow passengers to take in the gorgeous views over pristine scenery and active wildlife.

Little ones are sure to be delighted by Great Central Railway’s specially curated Christmas Activity Pack, filled with games, puzzles, and colouring sheets. Santa will of course be making an appearance, and he knows how to spread magic, happiness and cheer.

What’s more, every child on board will receive a special Christmas gift from Santa himself and each child will receive a drink and treats onboard as well as a goody bag full of festive cheer to take home. Adults are far from forgotten and will be treated to mince pies and Irish cream liqueur and there’s a full at-seat bar service available to help you celebrate in style.

For families or groups looking to go that extra mile this year, private carriages are available that will give the lucky children a private audience with Santa – so that they can really go into detail on exactly what they want for Christmas and the adults can capture it all on film. Other special upgrades include delicious hot chocolates, customized Santa Express mug keepsakes and tasty chocolate novelties.

Tickets for the Santa Express are available to book now both for standard class and for private carriages. Santa Express tickets are always popular, so we advise families to book soon to avoid disappointment!

Find booking dates and more details on the Great Central Railway website: https://bit.ly/SantaExpress2024