The Epping-Ongar heritage railway is launching a special service for this winter, with trains covered in Christmas lights.
The exterior of the train will be decorated with lights, but that is only a part of the experience, as there will be illuminations alongside the train and a number of special lineside displays through the countryside from North Weald to Ongar.
Dean Walton, General Manager said, “This year has been a truly awful one, with our Epping Ongar Light Fantastic we hope to bring some of the joy we have all missed. This exciting train will put North Weald on the map!”
Services will run with a mix of steam or diesel trains on Wed-Sun evenings from 20th Nov to 2nd Jan.
Tickets are priced at £20 per person sold in bundles of 2, 4 or 6 – individual/odd-numbered tickets are not offered due to social distancing requirements in the train carriages.
Tickets are on sale now from here, and based on heritage railways elsewhere are expected to sell out quickly.
The train of lights is an idea that’s starting to pop up in a number of heritage railways to bring visitors in during the quieter winter months, and with the lockdown having deprived the railways of their summer income, it’s a very good way of supporting them.
To get to the Epping Ongar Railway from London, take the Central line to Epping tube station, and the 420 bus service can take you to North Weald in about 10 minutes – note it’s not a TfL bus, so you need to pay for fares.
Quite a few heritage lines are doing this now.
Let’s hope that this is a great success. We’re bound to need a festive fillip by then
North Weald aerodrome and station and Blake Hall ex~halt are all the better when dusted with some White Christmas snow. That and a smattering of neon Rudolphs whom the elves have tethered to lineside trees.
Works magically well on the Dartmouth railway in my experience. (Still grateful for your post on it some weeks ago Ian which brought a Heavenly host of fond memories rushing back).
Just need a replacement for the bus on the short journey from Epping to the EOR. Something like a sleigh body over a bumpy old charabanc chassis would do.
What happened to the vintage buses that used to be part of the ride?
You need to ask the railway that question.