THERE is a Christmas first on offer in Caernarfon over the festive period.

Brand new, for 2018, passengers on the historic Welsh Highland Railway's Santa Trains, will get to be some of the very first passengers to travel from the brand new station in the town.

Children and adults will experience the new building, on their journey through the heart of Snowdonia National Park with Santa and his band of merry elves.

The trains are running on December 8/9, 15/16 and 22/23 and depart from Caernarfon station at 10am and 1.40pm.

Each child gets a visit from Santa and his elves, on the train and receives a Christmas gift. At Rhyd Ddu station, there will be opportunities for photographs with Santa and his elves. On the return journey to Caernarfon, for the adults, there is sherry and a mince pie.

Since the Welsh Highland opened in the town in 1997, it initially ran just three miles to Dinas.

Now 25-mile line - the UK's longest heritage railway - has been extended in stages, and finally opening all the way to Porthmadog in 2011. Throughout that time, Caernarfon Station has been a temporary structure. The new £2.2m station forms a key part of Caernarfon's £16m Waterfront Project.