For those who haven’t travelled on a Santa Special train before here is what to expect:

Your train will leave from Sittingbourne Viaduct station so you will arrive here and access the station using our step-free route. Checking-in at the Ticket Office you will be issued with your ticket pack which details your trip and includes personalised Christmas cards for the children in your party. You will be asked for the children’s names when booking your tickets.

After the 15-minute journey to Kemsley Down, behind one of the original steam locomotives, you will be met by Santa or his elves. Passengers with Group 1 tickets (this will be in your pack) will go to Santa’s Grotto whilst other ticket holders, or those not visiting Santa, go directly to the Footplate Café.

Santa’s Grotto: children will need to be accompanied by one adult, they will queue to meet Santa in his grotto, have a few minutes to speak to him and then select an unwrapped gift from a selection of age appropriate toys. They will then head across to the Footplate Café.

Footplate Café: adults will be able to collect their seasonal refreshments (sausage roll, mince pie, an item from the tray, tea/coffee/hot chocolate) which is part of the fare, additional food & drinks can be purchased (children do not receive food – they’ve got a present from Santa!). Other ticket groups will be called for when Santa’s ready for them. You will be asked for details of any food allergies or preferences when booking your tickets.

The train will then return to Sittingbourne Viaduct station at the time shown on your ticket to complete the entire trip within two hours.

Fares this year are £16 for over 3s and £10 for under 3s, this includes the return train fare and present for children or refreshments for adults. Please state in your booking or email admin@sklr.net if you have an adult who would like to see Santa or any other Santa-related requests.

The train

The train will have four coaches, all of which three are bookable online (see photos below), Coach A is for parties with wheelchair-bound passengers (please email admin@sklr.net if you fall into this category and you will be given a password to book into this coach).

Train departing Sittingbourne Viaduct station with the correct formation for Santa Specials 2024. Coach A is at the rear of the train.

360 degree view of the coach interiors – click on the i to see the coach name at the top of the image, click on the right arrow (>) to see the next image. Use your mouse or finger to move the picture to look around.

Coach A is only bookable via admin@sklr.net as it is a wheelchair accessbible coach. It can carry up to 14 seated passengers, there is also room under the seats for buggies.

Coach B this coach carries 20 seated passengers, there is also room under the seats for buggies.

Coach C this coach has five bays of six seats so larger parties could travel together in adjoining bays. This coach does NOT have closable windows.

Coach D seats 10 passengers, there is also room under the seats for buggies.

A guard’s van will also be available for buggies.

If you have children aged under 3, you can add them to your booking by using the separate infants travelling on laps tickets, the booking will be assigned to your coach/bay but enables other tickets for over 3s to be booked. So, for example, if your party is 2 adults, 4 children and 2 infants, the infants are booked as ‘infants on laps’ as the system cannot cope with eight passengers in a bay of six!

We have slightly fewer seats per train this year and expect demand to be high so please book early. There will be NO tickets available on the day.

Until 1st November, tickets are only available on the 11am and 2pm departures from Sittingbourne Viaduct, this is to allow group bookings to be reserved on the 12pm and 3pm trains, when there is less impact from late running trains. If your preferred train is fully booked, there will be a waitlist but that will be first come, first served if tickets become available.

If you have any further questions or would like to book for a large group such as Beavers or a school party, please email admin@sklr.net

Click here for the ‘How to book Santa Specials’ guide