Mid-summer is an unlikely time to see Santa Claus, but as people sweltered in the hot sun, none other than Father Christmas himself was recently seen striding along the platform at the Severn Valley Railway’s Kidderminster Town station.

Santa was in town to catch a glimpse of the SVR’s very high profile visitor, ‘Flying Scotsman’ before its departure from the SVR this week, and also to carry out a recce of some of the locations for the all-new Christmas events that he’ll be appearing in at the heritage railway later this year.

The SVR launches two brand-new events for Christmas today at 3pm; Santa’s Steam Specials which will depart from Kidderminster, and the Elf Express which will depart from Bridgnorth.

The heritage line is working in partnership with the Wise Owl Theatre Company to produce the events. Wise Owl’s artistic director Chris Brookes said he’s taking inspiration from the railway itself:

“There’s something about steam trains that’s already very theatrical, and so for Santa’s Steam Specials we’re creating a unique immersive experience that’s completely different from what you’d get in a standard theatre setting.

“Passengers travel by steam train from Kidderminster to Arley for the Great Christmas Train Rescue, a theatrical show with Santa himself, plus Polly the polar bear and a scheming villain, Victor Von Sneeze. We’re working with War Horse’s Matthew Forbes to create some dazzling puppetry which will absolutely wow our audiences!”

Wise Owl producer Chloe Thorpe explained more about the Elf Express experience, departing from Bridgnorth:

“This wonderful, interactive experience is all about making sure families are Christmas-ready. With a cast of mischievous and merry elves, we’ll have dazzling on-board performances guaranteed to bring the magic of Christmas to life for everyone.”

Both events take place at weekends from Saturday 29 November and on Christmas Eve. Tickets for Santa’s Steam Specials featuring the Great Christmas Train Rescue, and the Elf Express, go on sale this Wednesday, 30 July at 3pm.

Relaxed performances of the Great Christmas Train Rescue take place on 7, 14 and 21 December.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit svr.co.uk