Visited the Santa Special 5 separate years now and I’m afraid the recent one was really disappointing. It’s gone up in price again but you get less no inclusive drink and mince pie on arrival as it used to and the entertainment on the train was no where near what it used to be. As described in a previous review, the elves shouted down a microphone which you couldn’t hear through the speakers properly. There were no games, entertainment or singing which used to create a good atmosphere. Basically took your money charged a fortune for rubbish coffee bundled you on the train, Santa worked his way down the carriage then back we went to the station. Santa was very good with the kids and the toy they got was good which is the only reason I didn’t leave a 1 star review. It seems the railway has become very commercial and no one really cares anymore. Just lost that ‘magical’ atmosphere which is sad

I’ve been on a few Santa trains with my grandchildren over the last 6 years and I know the world is a different place now but our trip today was poor. There seemed a lack of festive cheer, no mince pies and hot drinks as usual and a general lack of spirt . The journey was nothing special we didn’t sing any songs and what we did do was lost on young children, very disappointed. Shall look for an alternative next year. I think lessons have to be learnt . People want value for money and today I felt robbed.

Had a really enjoyable Christmas pullman dining experience. The staff were excellent and the food was good and plenty of it. The Christmas decorations in the carriages were very well done as was the festive table layout - even the cracker jokes made us chuckle rather than groan! We didn’t expect these heritage carriages to be hot, so dressed appropriately. There was of course some steam heating - just like in the old days - and that took the chill off. I think we have all become too used to central heating! The sound of the steam engine and the excellent scenery made for an amazing experience. We’ll certainly be back next year!

I’ve been on quite a few Santa trains but this was the worst. No mince pie and mulled wine for the grown ups or anything for the kids. Boo! No games for the kids as promised unless you count asking a few Christmas questions a game! The best thing about it was the build a soft toy dog but we could have bought that for 1/3 of the price. Disappointing 😩

I feel that charging £40 for one return trip is unfair when, for the same price, you get an annual pass. This discriminates against the tourist day-tripper who may not be in a position to return for further trips. £80 is a lot for a senior citizen couple for what is a relatively short train journey. We were also both disappointed that the journey was not particularly scenic - we were certainly expecting more from a train ride across the North Yorkshire Moors.

Visited and did a return journey to Whitby. Train was VERY busy leaving. We had pre-booked online and had to select our outbound train for ‘capacity reasons’. However tickets were still being sold on the platform which led to a very busy train. Thankfully we found a seat but many people were standing. At £40 a head (appreciate this is unlimited for a year), you’d expect to be seated. That said, journey was lovely and scenic. We enjoyed it and would look to return on a quieter day

As part of a holiday in North Yorkshire I planned a steam railway trip from Grosmont to Pickering. When I arrived at Grosmont I found that only the section between Whitby and Grosmont was steam. From Grosmont to Pickering was diesel, this was because of the recent dry weather and the fire risk. Fair enough, I accepted this. But I don't like diesels and went elsewhere (hence only 2 stars to be polite). However I was extremely annoyed when I heard that a few days later KIng Charles travelled behind Flying Scotsman in steam on the same section of track. Presumably the fire risk had disappeared for a royal trip. I was even more annoyed on returning home to North Norfolk to find that the North Norfolk Railway was still running steam trains despite similar weather and similar lineside fire risks (gorse, heather etc.)

Great visit and lovely staff. Went from Pickering to Whitby, disappointed that it was diesel for both journeys and didnt get to see a steam engine although we passed one in use. Thought it a little expensive at £45 each person as a tourist, the unimited use for a year is of little use if you live 300+ miles away. The journey was picturesque and the rail staff do a great job and no complaints at all and a great day out and well organised.

We were keen to spend a few hours on the railway, travelling return from Whitby, where we were staying, to Pickering. I logged on to the website to book tickets and was hit by the cost. £45 per adult. No concessions for pensioners. Having a fair amount of experience of other heritage railways this was exceptional. It put us off. We made do with filming the arrivals and departures at Whitby station.

We went on this iconic steam railway over 20 years ago now and in the late autumn, so we wanted to visit again to see if the experience is still as good as it was then, in particular as we'd seen it briefly featured in the latest Indiana Jones and Mission: Impossible films! We queued up to buy the tickets at Whitby (now the steam train goes from here, whereas before it was just from Grosmont) and waited on the platform while the engine was stoked up and got ready to roll. Not a cheap day out (£45 each) but this ticket does allow you to visit any time within the 12 months of buying your tickets, so would be good value if you live locally. We steamed out of Whitby station and made our way through the lovely countryside to stop at Grosmont station, where the engine had to be changed for a heritage diesel instead of our steam loco. Bit of a disappointment as the smell of diesel fumes wafting back up the track towards us wasn't quite the same as that of the steam loco, plus the whistle isn't quite the same as the diesel engine's! We were told that this had to be done because of the risk of fire from the steam loco when the weather was dry, so that was understandable, although not the same. We stopped briefly at Goathland (Harry Potter, the Railway Children, Heartbeat fame?) and on to Pickering, where we were able to stop (end of the line) and have a few hours of wandering round the lovely town streets, before embarking on the return journey. Just make sure you check your time tables for last train to Whitby (if travelling from there) as some stop at Grosmont as the last stop. Same diesel engine on the way back, changed at Grosmont, where it had to wait for 30 minutes for the national rail train out of Whitby to pass before returning to Whitby. Plenty of lovely countryside to enjoy but the heather wasn't out at this time of the year, so not as glorious as when we'd been before, so time your visit if you want a carpet of purple! Still, all in all a lovely day out.