The Spa Valley Railway’s Polar Express tickets have been flying off the shelves; however, the railway is now having to purchase water to operate them.

South East Water has caused a major disruption to the water supply in Tunbridge Wells due to a faulty chemical batch used in the treatment process to ensure it was filtered correctly and safe to drink.

Many residents are without potable water in their homes, and there are bottled water stations throughout the area to ensure people have access to fresh water.

These stations provide only a limited amount of water to each household, which is not nearly enough to operate steam engines.

The railway has had to purchase nearly 30,000 litres of water a day to operate the Polar Express steam trains, provide hot chocolate, and maintain toilet facilities.

Some progress has been made at the treatment works, and a boil-water notice has been issued.

The trains have been running since November, with additional dates added for December, and tickets remain available for people to snap up.

The railway has said it will be running the Polar Express services, and there’s still time to get your tickets, which can be done online.