A County Durham heritage railway will run trains this Christmas for the first time since 2019.
Special Christmas services on the Weardale Railway, which runs through the North Pennines AONB, will run throughout December. Santa and his elves will be on the trains, as will festive food, drinks and decorations.
Christmas services have not operated on the line since 2019, but following the partial reopening of the year in spring - and the success of the summer timetable which ran between Stanhope and Wolsingham - staff were delighted to bring services back for the festive season.
Read more: Winter Experience offers visitors chance to explore three County Durham festive spectacles
The Christmas services will depart "Santahope" station for a 60-minute roundtrip, enough time for Santa to meet and greet all the children onboard the "Bauble" car train. There will also be a festive edition of the Weardale Makers Market at Santahope (or Stanhope) station, with local craftspeople selling their wares.
Wayne Dixon, General Manager at Weardale Railway, said: " When we reopened between Stanhope and Wolsingham in the spring, people immediately started asking about our plans for Christmas. A visit to Weardale Railway became part of so many people’s routine in the run up to Christmas and we’re delighted to be able to run these special services during December."
The Weardale Railway is operated by The Auckland Project, which is offering a programme of Christmas activity in Bishop Auckland. It is holding a Winter Experience from November 18 - December, welcoming guests to Auckland Castle and Auckland. Guests who visit the Winter Experience will also get the chance to visit the Faith Museum, scheduled to open in autumn 2023.
Jon O'Donoghue, Commercial Director at The Auckland Project, said: " Christmas is a time when faith, family and fun come together more than ever, and this has been at the centre of our ambitions for the Winter Experience. We want to put The Auckland Project at the heart of Christmas in Bishop Auckland, creating new traditions people will look forward to and enjoy with their loved-ones year on year."
Three Christmas services a day will operate on Saturdays and Sunday in the run up to December 25, while there will be additional services on December 21, 22 and 23. For more information on the Weardale Railway, visit its website and for more on the Auckland Porject and its winter experience, visit its website.
What have you got planned for the run up to Christmas? Let us know!
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