Santa Express 2026

A festive return steam-train experience to Shelley North Pole, with a Santa visit, a gift for each child and a Christmas show; a quieter SEND edition runs on two dates.

The standard Santa Express includes a return steam-train journey from Clayton West to Shelley North Pole, a one-to-one Father Christmas visit and gift, Spike the Elf’s show and seasonal activities. The SEND edition is the same experience with reduced-capacity trains, calmer carriages and quieter music; its departures are 5 and 12 December at 13:40. The SEND train leaves Shelley at about 14:50 and returns to Clayton West at about 15:15; these are approximate movements, not an exact event end. Every passenger, including infants under 12 months, needs a ticket. Children under 16 must travel with an adult; dogs are not permitted. On 24 December the last service has small fireworks. Published return times for the 11:00 and 12:20 departures on 5 and 12 December are inconsistent or anomalous, so their end times remain unknown.