Santa took time out of his busy Christmas schedule at the railway to make a very special collection, helping K&ESR General Manager Robin Coombes to pick up an Event of the Year Bronze Award for the Santa Specials at the Beautiful South Awards for Excellence in Tourism.
A decades-old Christmas tradition, the Santa Specials are enjoyed by generations of families from around the country and regularly carry upwards of 14,000 passengers every December.
General Manager Robin Coombes said: “It was a great honour on behalf of the whole K&ESR family to collect, with Santa, an award for our Santa Specials. Our Santa Specials have been developed over many years to provide a truly family-orientated magical experience. They are complex and intense to operate but this award recognises just how good they are."
He also paid tribute to the hundreds of volunteers who help to run the event and make it such a success: “I want to acknowledge the exceptional dedication of those who go above and beyond, particular the long hours worked by many, often with modesty, simply stating, ‘It's what we do!’ I extend my sincere gratitude to each and every volunteer for their extra-ordinary effort and unwavering dedication: our Santa Specials simply would not work without them.”