All aboard the Bedford to Brighton Santa train!

Santa swapped his sleigh for a Thameslink train to give deserving families a magical fun-packed journey at the weekend.

Excited youngsters from the Bedford and Brighton areas boarded the festive train on Saturday (14 December) for a round trip, during which they met Father Christmas, received goodie bags, enjoyed magic tricks, face-painting and took part in craft activities.

Govia Thameslink Railway worked with Bedford Borough Council, Brighton and Hove City Council, Sussex Community Rail Partnership and Beds to St Albans Community Rail Partnership to reach out to families in need of an uplifting trip.

GTR then provided complimentary tickets to 50 family groups, who otherwise may not have enjoyed a treat this Christmas. Among the children to enjoy the day were those on the autism spectrum, young carers and children with disabilities.

To ensure they had a memorable day, GTR staff volunteered their own time to make sure the trip went smoothly.

GTR Customer Engagement Manager and father-of-two Tom Brook, who organised the event alongside colleague Lynn Howarth, said: “For some of the families who joined us, life can be exceptionally challenging, and we felt those families deserved an uplifting, memorable day together. It was heart-warming to see how much it meant to them to be treated to this special trip. All the children were so excited, especially those who either hadn’t been on a train before or were rail enthusiasts.”

Mum Donna Elston, of Rustington in West Sussex, took her 10-year-old rail enthusiast son David on the Santa train. She said: “It was wonderful that Govia Thameslink Railway arranged this. It was so amazing for David; it was like his dream come true. He loves Christmas, so to have this on top of a train ride was absolutely amazing. All he kept saying was ‘this is the best day ever’.”

Donna, 42, credits trains for helping David learn to speak thanks to the repetition of onboard announcements. David is on the autism spectrum, has ADHD, sensory processing disorder and learning difficulties. Donna, who is his carer, said: “He loves trains and wants to learn about trains. If trains are involved, learning becomes relevant to him.” 

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Note to Editors

The Thameslink train pictured features a limited edition rainbow livery to show everyone is welcome on GTR services and to celebrate GTR's LGBT+ colleagues.