Golden Arrow Christmas Dining Trains: Christmas by Steam Through the Sussex Weald

Step aboard the Bluebell Railway's beautifully restored Pullman carriages for an evening of silver-service dining, steam, Christmas lights and a journey back to the golden age of rail travel.

There are Christmas experiences, and then there are Christmas experiences that feel as though they've been lifted from another era.

This December, the Bluebell Railway's Golden Arrow Christmas Dining Trains return to Sheffield Park, offering an unusually elegant way to celebrate the festive season — aboard a steam-hauled Pullman dining train travelling through the winter Sussex countryside.

Rather than a conventional Christmas dinner in a restaurant, the evening begins at Sheffield Park Station, where guests board the beautifully restored Pullman cars Christine, Fingall and Car 54. These historic carriages were built around the comfort and style associated with first-class rail travel, with wood-panelled interiors, marquetry and plush seating.

And then the train sets off.

A Christmas dinner with a difference

The experience lasts approximately three and a half hours, combining a steam-hauled journey with a Christmas menu, wine and a mulled wine reception. The Bluebell describes the experience as an opportunity to recreate the atmosphere of the famous Golden Arrow service, which once connected London Victoria with Paris Gare du Nord.

There is something particularly fitting about doing this in the Sussex Weald.

Outside the carriage windows, the landscape settles into winter, while inside the Pullman carriages the emphasis is firmly on warmth, food and old-fashioned railway elegance.

The experience also incorporates some of the Bluebell Railway's other Christmas attractions. At Horsted Keynes Station, carol singers will be present, while passengers can see the lineside light displays associated with the railway's SteamLights events.

It means the journey itself becomes part of the evening, rather than simply the way of getting to dinner.

The Pullman experience

The three dining cars used for the service — Christine, Fingall and Car 54 — have been restored to recreate the character of first-class rail travel from the early twentieth century. Car 54 also provides accessible access for wheelchair users.

For anyone interested in heritage railways, the carriages are arguably as much a part of the experience as the locomotive.

For everyone else, they're simply a rather wonderful place to have Christmas dinner.

The Bluebell Railway also says that larger groups can enquire about booking an entire carriage or train, making the experience potentially suitable for a special celebration or larger Christmas gathering.

When is it running?

The 2026 Golden Arrow Christmas Dining Trains are currently scheduled for:

December 2026

• Thursday 3 December

• Friday 4 December

• Saturday 5 December

• Thursday 10 December

• Friday 11 December

• Saturday 12 December

• Thursday 17 December

• Friday 18 December

• Saturday 19 December

• Monday 21 December

• Tuesday 22 December

• Wednesday 23 December

The 4 December service is the lunchtime/luncheon service; the remaining dates are evening services. All journeys start and finish at Sheffield Park Station.

Tickets are currently advertised from £135 per person.

Around the Weald's take

For something a little more memorable than the usual Christmas meal, this is one of those occasions where the journey really is part of the destination.

There's the railway heritage, the Pullman carriage, the steam locomotive, the winter countryside, Christmas lights and carols — and then, of course, dinner.

It's also a particularly good example of what makes the Weald such an interesting place to explore at Christmas: you don't necessarily need a city centre or a large Christmas market to create a special festive evening. Sometimes it's a country railway, an old carriage and a winter journey through the Sussex countryside.

If you're looking for a Christmas experience rather than simply another Christmas meal, this one is worth putting on the list.