The Polar Express will visit Yorkshire Dales heritage railway Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway for the first time and is expected to attract thousands of visitors

Volunteers and staff of the Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust, the owner and operator of the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway will be preparing for the inaugural train experience.

Having been granted necessary operating licence by Warner Brothers to operate ‘The Polar Express’ thorough arrangements are now in place.

The film stars Tom Hanks and features human characters animated using live action and motion-capture computer animation which tells the story of a young boy who, on Christmas Eve, sees a mysterious train on its way to the North Pole stop outside his window, and is invited aboard by the conductor. The boy joins several other children as they embark on a magical journey to visit Santa Claus preparing for Christmas.

Chris Van Allsburg’s story will be theatrically recreated, so families can be immersed in the sights, sounds and intrigue of this classic children’s tale. Prepare to be surrounded by the magic and wonder of the Christmas season.

The adventure comes to life when the train departs for a round-trip journey to the North Pole led by a cast of skilled actors. It is set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, passengers will relive the magic of the classic story as they are whisked away on The Polar Express for a one-hour trip to meet Santa.

Once passengers are onboard, the conductor will walk through the coach and punch golden tickets before hot chocolate and a delicious cookie are served by dancing chefs. Passengers will then read along with the classic children’s book, The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg.

Passengers are greeted by Santa and his helpers who board the train to greet them and each guest is given the first gift of Christmas. During the trip, characters on each car-led onboard entertainment, akin to the film. Each guest will take home a keepsake sleigh bell and souvenir golden ticket as well as the wonderful memories made on the trip. Similar to the children in the book, families are encouraged to wear their pyjamas for the ride.

Press officer at Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, Richard Jones, told The Yorkshire Post: “We are very excited by the news, and feel it will be of great benefit to both the railway and Yorkshire, having the potential to attract several thousand visitors.

“This is the first time we have done The Polar Express at our railway. Bookings opened a couple of weeks ago, and the revenue already received is well in advance of what we received at the same point in time for our festive trains last year. The Polar Express at our railway is already proving to be extremely popular.”

Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust chairman, Rob Shaw, said: “With ‘The Polar Express’ a very popular film for all the family, we are very excited by this new opportunity to bring our railway to potentially a much greater audience in the lead up to this coming Christmas.

“We are excited to have developed a relationship with the Wise Owl Theatre Company, who will be utilising professional actors drawn from across the country to bring the best possible ‘The Polar Express’ experience to Yorkshire.

“As a Charitable Trust, we will be using the proceeds to further develop, maintain and enhance our Grade-II listed infrastructure, steam locomotives and internationally important collection of historic carriages.”

You can book tickets from now on the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway website.