A fabulous holiday lego set!
Am absolutely fabulous holiday lego set to build!
Clear instructions, not too fiddly and looks amazing when built.
The moving parts don't work very well on the tracks though, however they do when the train is not on the tracks.
Great family fun
We absolutely loved this Lego set: we built it as a family taking turned to fit the pieces and finding each Lego piece. Easy for a 9 year old to follow instructions and build independently too. A couple of the pieces were a little fiddly to fit but we were able to do it. The track was a little small to fit fully around the Christmas tree with a gap behind and it would have been better if you didn’t have to buy the motor separately.
More Than a Train, A Christmas Mem
Building the LEGO Holiday Train together has been one of our favorite moments this Christmas season. From the very first bag to the final festive details, this set captures everything we love about LEGO during the holidays, which is its creativity, warmth, and time spent together. The train is beautifully designed, with charming seasonal touches in every car. Each section feels thoughtful and joyful, and once complete, it instantly transforms a shelf into a holiday scene full of life and nostalgia. The minifigures, accessories, and colors all work perfectly together, making it feel both playful and timeless. What we loved most is how this build became more than just a set. It became a shared experience, same as Alpine Lodge and Santa set. Placing it on display alongside our other holiday builds brought a smile every time we walked by. It truly feels like a centerpiece that celebrates togetherness and tradition. A perfect holiday build, perfect for display, and absolutely full of heart.
Highly recommended for anyone looking to add warmth, charm, and a little magic to their holiday LEGO display.
Starts fun but big let down
My wife and I bought the set as a special Christmas gift for our girls so that we could set it to run around the base of the Christmas tree. We gave it to them early so that it could be up after school got out and it could run during the Christmas break. We were met with a huge disappointment when we realized the parts needed to make a move were not included. This was not very obvious at all when my wife purchased it. Not only that, but the parts are sold out. Thanks for disappointing my kids, LEGO.
WHAT A PITY!
This is the second time I've had to find third party sellers on Ebay, Etsy, etc, to find what SHOULD BE INCLUDED WITH A SET IN THE FIRST PLACE: THE POWER-UP THREE-PART UNIT! As a result, I had to spend 1.5 times the price of the train kit to gift a Powered Lego Train kit (OUT OF STOCK EVERY TIME)! Honestly, who wants to build a train set that ISN'T capable of locomotion?! Also, is is really necessary to seal every box seam so that a stick of dynamite is needed to open the box?! Why did I need to open the kit before wrapping my gift? Because I needed to INSERT THE THREE-PART POWER-UP UNIT IN THE SET! Come ON, Lego, do better!
Family fun
We had a blast putting this together as a family. Our youngest put together the simplest bag and we all worked together for the rest.
A beautifully designed Christmas-themed train set
This Holiday Express train set was a wonderful experience to build and play with. The design is detailed and festive, and the train looks great once it is placed on the track. The assembly was straightforward, and the smaller decorative elements add a lot of charm to the overall look.
It kept my child engaged for a long time, especially with the mini figures and the different holiday scenes they can create. The quality of the pieces is strong, and everything fits together securely. It’s a lovely set for the holiday season and a great activity to enjoy together as a family.
Adding Powered Up
If this is the first time you have used Powered Up and you have bought the Hub #88009 the Motor #88011 and the Controller #88010 the first thing you have to do is pair the Hub with the Controller. The best way to do this is to hold down the green button on both the Hub and Controller at the same time for a few seconds then let go of both buttons at the same time the controller and Hub should both now light up Green and you are good to go. The instruction show connecting the motor to the B channel which is controlled by the right hand side of the controller. If you didn't buy the controller and are using the Powered Up app to control the train at the moment there is no part of the app for this train but if you choose the Disney train this works well at controlling the train with all the right engine sounds.
A must buy! 🎁
LEGO Holiday Express Train is a delightful festive set. The assembly is satisfying, 956 pieces with clear instructions make for a fun, rewarding build. Once built, the train is durable and sturdy, holding together well on its circular track.
The appearance is charming and seasonal, with bright, elegant colours and whimsical details like a brick-built polar bear and gift-wrapped carriage. While it doesn’t have built-in sound, the mechanical touches like the smokestack and polar bear bell add playful movement, and it’s compatible with LEGO Powered Up for motorised fun.
Overall, it’s perfect for holiday displays, family builds, or anyone who loves a festive LEGO centerpiece, charming, well-built, and highly recommended.
Amazing Christmas Lego set
Amazing train Lego set. Perfect for the Christmas season. I love there are parts that move when the train does. And you can add a motor so it drives itself! Instructions were easy to follow. Lots of fun had building this!
Best Lego ever
I can’t describe how happy I’m . Is easy to Assemble but is taking time. Every single part need attention and patience. It is a strong Lego and after you finish it, is giving you a feeling that o can’t describe. I was more happy than my child 🤣. There is nearly 1000 pieces but is not a problem at all. It doesn’t come with the battery, must purchase separately but is not a problem at all. Looks so nice and now waiting to order the battery. Happy to recommend it to everyone.
Amazing set for family build together for a magica
Wow what an amazing achievement Lego has achieved! This Lego holiday express train will bring so much joy to my family during this special season will give a touch of magic! The box it self is very sturdy and comes with an easy opening on the back. The Lego it self it has the very good quality that Lego delivers, all set is separate by sections in individual paper bags for easy access to Lego pieces. This set contains 956 pieces so it’s recommended for adults but my children will join in every evening so we can build this up together. It comes ready to powered up great for go around the Christmas tree as it comes with 16 train tracks. The train it self is around 49cm long and 13cm high also very interactive with a bobbing smokestack, coal tender, flat at carrying a bell-ringing polar bear and a end car with furnished interior, includes 4 mini figures and a passenger platform with a bench and a lamppost. Another adorable fixture is the most cute little present that inside is a 3D printed little train. This set also come: with 2 printed instructions for easy building but we also are going to use the Lego builder app for a fun build together experience. I highly recommend this set I’m so excited to start building this project as my children are.
Disappointed
This is the first time I’ve ever been disappointed with a Lego build and I’ve built almost 100 AFOL sets since 2014. Fewer bricks, less detail, less impressive, substantial price increase. But this review is not about the price. If this is the new standard for Lego then I fear Lego may lose its place as the market leader. This set simply does not live up to the standard that Lego set for itself. Very disappointing set and very disappointed to have to write this review for a brand I’ve loved for most of my life.
Higher price less product
Christmas sets normally €99 the extra €20 charged for this set is unjustified as you get less for your money.
Compared to previous sets there is very little building satisfaction.
If this is the future of Lego Christmas sets this will be my last.
My "Holiday Village" continues with Santa Village
This is my 2025 follow-up version of "Holiday Village" with Santa’s Village and Flying Sleigh. Hope you enjoy! To see the original 2023 version, visit Alpine Lodge, Customer Reviews and 2024 version, visit Santa’s Post Office, Customer Reviews.
PS, A shout out to the Lego Store (Fashion Mall) Las Vegas, NV and the Lego Store (Town Center) Virginia Beach, VA for their suggestions and help, Thanks!
Nice Train Set Disappointing Engine Design
I was really looking forward to this set coming out, but I am extremely disappointed at the design of the main engine. The engine wheel design set up is definitely a backward design from the 1980’s. Other LEGO engines look really good but not this one. I had to redesign the engine wheel design to show what could have been produced. See my photos and let me know what you think
2025 Christmas train
I purchased the new Christmas train, train motor, battery and extra track to compliment the Lego Christmas/winter village that I started last year. Its addition compliments my village very well. I consider myself an intermediate skill level builder and I enjoyed assembling the train.
Simple train set for the Christmas season
The build was fast, the train looks good and runs well.
Keep in mind that the motor, remote, and hub are sold separately. Also the train utilizes simple Technic elements for the couplings (which I prefer for simplicity and reliability) instead of the traditional buffer-and-magnets.
Christmas Train 2025
I’m late to the Christmas Village craze, so I was excited to get a train this year. It was not a difficult build. I was confused about the 3-d printed toy train. I hope that this trend doesn’t continue. Looking forward to setting up my Christmas display.
Three D Printed Element
So cool to see the first 3D printed element, which my daughter worked on.
