A heritage railway celebrating a 25th anniversary has announced a series of festive and New Year services.

The Spa Valley Railway in Tunbridge Wells marked 25 years since it re-opened in 1996 and RSH No. 7846 North Downs hauled the line's first ever festive trains between Tunbridge Wells West and Cold Bath Bridge.

A quarter of a century on, passengers are currently heading to the North Pole on the Polar Express, but the railway also has festive specials between Christmas and New Year and into early January in Kent.

Between Tuesday, December 28 and Thursday, December 30 steam locomotive Hunslet Austerity No. 2890 known as Douglas will take visitors through the High Weald before Sir Keith Park Bullied Pacific locomotive takes over on Friday, December 31 to January 2.

There will be uniformed station masters on the platform to wave them off.

Tickets cost £12 for adults and £6 for two to 15-year-olds.

The Winter Steam Up gala is also due back on which will take place on Saturday, January 8 and Sunday, January 9 when the two locomotives will be back to take passengers on their journeys.

Tickets for these journeys cost £15 for adults and £7.50 for two to 15 years.

Trains will operate between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge calling at Groombridge along the way.

Commercial manager Jonnie Pay said of the 25-year anniversary: “A huge thank you must go to all our volunteers and members of the Tunbridge Wells & Eridge Railway Preservation Society that have supported and worked tirelessly since the mid-1980s to enable the Spa Valley Railway to get to this point in its history.

“One last thank you must go to everyone that has visited in the last 25 years for enabling us to reach this milestone. Without the support of our visitors we would be unable to run any of our services.”

To book for any of the journeys visit spavalleyrailway.co.uk