page_title: Santon railway station
section_title: Santa's Halt
hierarchical_section_title: Santon railway station / Santa's Halt
caption_attribution_description: English: Santa train at Santon Station on the Isle of Man.
context_page_description: Santon railway station is a request stop near Newtown in the parish of Santon, Isle of Man; it forms part of the sole remaining line of the Isle of Man Railway which once encompassed over 46 miles of network and retains its original station building. The halt sometimes plays host to Santa's Grotto each December as part of the railway's Santa Trains service although between 2010 and 2013 it was not utilised for this purpose. The railway station is situated off the A5 Port Erin to Douglas road, between the railway stations of Ballasalla and Port Soderick.
context_section_description: The railway station has played host to Father Christmas and his enchanted grotto for several years from 1986 when the railway's popular Santa Trains terminated here, the railway station being renamed as Santa's Halt annually for this purpose. In more recent years this practice was discontinued and a much shorter run was introduced with Father Christmas passing among the passengers to distribute presents and trains only travelling as far as various points on the first section of the line prior to Port Soderick railway station. Happily, in 2008 the full run to Santon was reinstated, and a further two years of these services were provided. The grotto was constructed each December by panelling in the recessed passenger waiting shelter in the railway station building. The railway's three coach Bar Set of saloon coaches were placed in the siding at the railway station for provision of mulled wine, mince pies, tea, coffee and other refreshments and the area suitably decorated; the railway station renamed for the occasion which used to take place in the first two weekends of December. However, in 2010 a considerable revamp of the railway's established seasonal services saw the terminus moved from here to Castletown railway station which was renamed Tinseltown for the occasion, this continued annually until 2013 but the 2014 festive services once again used Santon railway station.
caption: No. 4 Loch (1874) at the railway station during Santa Special services in December 2012.
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