Tickets are on sale for the Volk's Railway Santa Express on 21, 22 and 23 December, from £20 for a child and an adult. Santa rides the train this year.

Santa is coming back to the Volk’s Electric Railway on Madeira Drive for three days before Christmas, and this year he rides the train. Tickets for the Santa Express on Monday 21, Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 December went on sale this week.

The council, which owns the railway, announced the dates on Thursday. There are six sessions a day, the first at 9.20am, the railway’s own listing says.

What happens

Each session is shared by several families. It runs like this:

  • an elf meets you at Aquarium Station, Madeira Drive, BN2 1PS
  • Santa reads a Christmas story to the group in Santa’s Reading Room
  • there is time for photos with Santa, and every child with a ticket gets a gift
  • then everyone boards a heritage train for a ride along the seafront, with Santa sitting up front

The railway recommends it for children aged 2 to 10.

Prices

These are the railway’s prices, before a booking fee:

Ticket Price
One child and one adult £20
Additional adult or senior £8
Adult Santa Express Experience (photo and gift for a grown-up) £12

On the Eventbrite booking page the totals come to between £9.38 and £22.38 once the fee is added. Tickets are excluded from all discounts and concessionary rates.

Things to know before you book

  • You must book ahead. Only people holding a Santa Express or additional adult ticket are let into the building, because of space.
  • Pick the right child ticket. There are separate tickets for children aged 0 to 2 and 3 and over, so the elves can match the gift. Gifts cannot be swapped.
  • Arrive on time. Late arrivals may miss part of the session.
  • Refunds are available up to seven days before your session, Eventbrite says.
  • Photos are taken throughout for the railway’s publicity. Tell staff on arrival if you would rather not appear, and you will be given a red sticker.

If you only want the train, the railway says tickets for the ride alone will be sold on the day, subject to availability and departure times.

What it means for you

There are only three days and six sessions a day, so book early if you want a particular date. If those dates do not suit you, Santa’s other Brighton visits start at Dobbies on 21 November and the Royal Pavilion on 4 December.