SANTA TRAINS 2024

Confirmation has been received from the North Pole that Santa will be visiting the Doon Valley Railway for a ride on our vintage train, so join him for this special event. The train will be hauled by one of our diesel locomotives and you will travel in our saloon carriage which gives wonderful views of the Doon Valley. 

Included in price:

• Heritage diesel train ride (approximately 20 minutes).
• Meet Santa on the train.
• Gift for every child.
• Seasonal refreshments in cafe afterwards.

Dates

• Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th November
• Saturday 30th November & Sunday 1st December 
• Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th December.

Train Times

10.30am; 11.30am; 1pm; 2pm and 3pm.

Passengers will need to arrive in the car park 20 minutes before the departure time to get checked in and transfer to Dunaskin Station. A shuttle bus will operate from the car park at the site entrance to transport all passengers to and from Dunaskin Station. 

After the train ride all passengers will enjoy seasonal refreshments in the cafe, and the shop will also be open with a variety of gifts, souvenirs and toys on sale.

Train Carriage 

For the train journey, the carriage has two sections, A and B, which are separated by a corridor.

• Section A has 14 seats and faces up the line.
• Section B has 16 seats and is next to the diesel locomotive.

Children aged 2 or under are not allocated a seat and will require to travel on the lap of an accompanying adult.

Individual seat numbers within the carriage section will be allocated.

If travelling as a group, and you wish to sit together, you will need to book tickets in the same section.

Cost

Prices frozen from 2023.

• £15 per adult or child (over 3 years old). 
• Child aged 2 or under on lap £6.

There are no carers or group discounts available for these trains.

ARPG members free travel does not apply to this special event.

Booking

All tickets must be purchased in advance on-line using the 'Buy Santa Train Tickets' button below.

In order that Santa has the appropriate presents for children, please give their name, age and sex (boy / girl) when completing the booking.

If a child does not require a present please book as an adult.

Accessibility

The shuttle bus is not wheelchair accessible. Arrangements can be made for passengers with wheelchairs, mobility aids etc to drive directly to the station in their own car - please indicate in additional information section of the booking form if this is required.

The carriage is not accessible by wheelchair or mobility scooter due to the narrow door width. Wheelchair or mobility scooters can be left in the waiting room at the station.

Section A of the carriage is directly by the entrance door. Section B is along a corridor in the carriage. There is a large step between the platform and the carriage floor.

An accessible toilet is available in the shop building, just along from the cafe. There are no toilet facilities at the station or on the train.

Dogs

The train is likely to be very full with a lot of excited children (and adults) and so dogs, other than assistance dogs, will not be permitted to travel on the train.

How to Find Us

Doon Valley Railway, Dunaskin, Patna, Ayr KA6 7JH

https://doonvalleyrailway.co.uk/how-to-find-us

The Doon Valley Railway is just off the A713 Ayr to Castle Douglas road, between Patna and Dalmellington, and is signposted as 'The Scottish Industrial Railway Centre'. Access is via the car park, located just after going over the railway bridge.

Google Maps: Link

What 3 words: ///basic.deed.suits

There is a regular bus service, Number 52, from Ayr to Bellsbank which is operated by Stagecoach. Timetables and live bus times are available from https://www.stagecoachbus.com/

Cancellations & Changes to Bookings

Bookings can be amended, subject to availability of seats on the alternative date and/or time up to 14 days before the travel date. 

Bookings can be cancelled up to 14 days before the booked travel date and refunded. Refunds will be made to the ticket buyer's original payment method.

For cancellations within 14 days before the booked travel date, no refunds will be provided.

To amend or cancel your booking please click the "Manage Bookings" button on the event ticket page.

Additional Conditions of Booking

Your ticket is only valid for the date and departure time you have booked.

Trains will not be held beyond their scheduled departure times and tickets cannot be refunded if you miss your train. All passengers should arrive at least 20 minutes before the time stated on their booking confirmation.

If you have any issues during your visit then please bring them to the attention of a member of staff so there is an opportunity to rectify the situation.

Whilst every effort is made to run the services as advertised, the ARPG, operators of the Doon Valley Railway, reserves the right to alter train services, attractions and facitiies without notice.

The ARPG reserves the right to refuse access to, or remove from the train and /or site, any persons who are considered to be using inappropriate behaviour affecting the safety of the train and its passengers, spoiling the enjoyment of others or failing to comply with any reasonable requests made by a member of  staff.

Contact

For any enquiries about Santa train bookings please email:  doonvalleyrailway+santa@gmail.com

For any general enquiries about the Doon Valley Railway please email: info@doonvalleyrailway.com