Legoland to have fun historic birthday and followers may even experience a themed prepare

Legoland Windsor is celebrating its 30th birthday and has teamed up with South Western Railway to allow fans the chance to ride a themed train

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Thrillseekers can hop aboard a train named after LEGOLAND to celebrate its 30th birthday.

Legoland Windsor is turning 30, and is celebrating in style with South Western Railway unveiling its Arterio train named LEGOLAND Locomotive at Waterloo station.

The colourful train, featuring a vibrant Lego-inspired design, was revealed alongside character ‘Brick Suit Girl’ at the station before departing for Windsor & Eton Riverside – the gateway station for families travelling to the iconic theme park.

The LEGOLAND Locomotive celebrates the shared sense of creativity and excitement that both rail travel and Lego bring to generations of children and families.

The celebration also marks a significant milestone for SWR’s £1billion Arterio fleet, which now operates more than 500 services every day across the suburban network.

More than 30 additional Arterios are in regular service since SWR transferred to public ownership last year, with 50% more capacity than the trains they replace, helping to transform travel across London and the South West suburban network.

Fiona Eastwood, CEO of Merlin Entertainments, said: “The unveiling of this LEGOLAND Locomotive is the perfect way to celebrate 30 years of LEGOLAND Windsor Resort

“The route brings families to Merlin destinations, from LEGOLAND at one end to our South Bank attractions including the London Eye at the other and Thorpe Park along the way.

“Thanks to South Western Railway, guests can leave their cars at home and enjoy memorable visits to a number of Merlin locations both on this route and beyond.”

Ramesh Ganeson, Merlin’s Vice President of the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, said: “This is a fantastic addition to the 30th birthday celebrations.

“Not only can families look forward to travelling on our Hill Train at the Resort, but they can now begin their LEGOLAND adventure earlier in the day by boarding the eclectic LEGOLAND locomotive to experience an awesome journey of play and creativity, making memories to last a lifetime.”

James Wale at South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, said: “With more than 500 services operated by our Arterio fleet each day, customers across our network are feeling the benefits of these game-changing new trains – whether they’re travelling into London or heading over to Windsor for a day at LEGOLAND.

“Naming one of our trains the LEGOLAND Locomotive celebrates the idea that train travel is more than simply getting A to B.

“The railway connects people with places they love – and the journey is all part of the adventure.

“The Legoland Locomotive and our partnership with LEGOLAND is a fantastic way to mark a major milestone for one of the network’s most popular attractions and highlight the important role rail plays in connecting communities with great destinations across our region.”

Parenting expert and author Rachel Kelly highlighted the importance of imaginative play in children’s development.

Rachael said: “There’s plenty of research about the importance of creativity in children for their psychological wellbeing and health.

“Train journeys provide the ideal time and opportunity for imaginative play.

“Being absorbed in things like doodling, drawing, building with LEGO or simply looking out the window to watch the world go by induces a ‘flow state’, similar to mindfulness, where stress hormones reduce and positive hormones like dopamine increase.

“Train journeys can provide precious, uninterrupted time away from screens and everyday distractions allowing both children and parents to slow down, setting up families up for a fun-filled day out.”

South Western Railway (SWR) Rewards offers 1/3 off 1-day entry tickets to the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort when you travel by train, for more information visit https://rewards.southwesternrailway.com/collection/attractions