The West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust WSRHT

West Somerset Railway Plc announces 2021 Christmas Trains Programme with a difference

Posted on August 27, 2021

New WSR 'Winterlights' 2021 Christmas Services

In addition to the WSR’s traditional ‘Santa Express’ daytime services from Bishops Lydeard to Williton which will run on ten dates from early December, a new series of 14 ‘Winterlights’ evening trains will be running too with the steam loco and carriages lit up, plus there will be some festive visual displays along the line to see during the journey from Bishops Lydeard to Crowcombe. 

Winterlights’ services will run from mid-November, twice a night, and tickets go on sale today priced the same as the Santa Express trains at £20.00 a head with full details of both on the WSR website at www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk.  

The ‘Winterlights’ programme starts on Friday 19 November and Saturday 20th November, and next on 26 & 27 November, then Friday 3 and Saturday 4 December, and weekends on 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, plus 21, 22 and 23 December. Santa Express’ trains will start on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 December, and then run on weekends of 11, 12, 18,19, and then in Christmas week on 21, 22, 23 and 24 December.

As the West Somerset Railway (WSR) nears the end of what has been a very busy, and much needed summer holiday period, planning for the WSR’s Christmas plans is now well underway, including a brand new event for this year called ‘Winterlights’ which runs on evenings.

In addition to the WSR’s traditional ‘Santa Express’ daytime services from Bishops Lydeard to Williton which will run on ten dates from early December, a new series of 14 ‘Winterlights’ evening trains will be running too with the steam loco and carriages lit up, plus there will be some festive visual displays along the line to see during the journey from Bishops Lydeard to Crowcombe. 

Winterlights’ services will run from mid-November, twice a night, and tickets go on sale today priced the same as the Santa Express trains at £20.00 a head with full details of both on the WSR website at www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk.  

The ‘Winterlights’ programme starts on Friday 19 November and Saturday 20th November, and next on 26 & 27 November, then Friday 3 and Saturday 4 December, and weekends on 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, plus 21, 22 and 23 December. Santa Express’ trains will start on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 December, and then run on weekends of 11, 12, 18,19, and then in Christmas week on 21, 22, 23 and 24 December.

We expect our ‘Winterlights’ trains to be popular with visitors and our workers alike as something new and a different, illuminating experience on the line. Our Christmas trains are vital to us because they provide a good income boost which assists us greatly in getting through the fallow winter period. Running successful events on the WSR always takes a lot of planning and effort, but none of this is achievable without the continuing help of our amazing team of volunteers and staff, many of whom have been working so hard to get us through the busy summer period.