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Sky Go Movies Express offers free Christmas train travel

Sky is running a free train from London to Birmingham this Christmas, decked out in the style of festive films and stuffed with iPads.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
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Richard Trenholm
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All aboard the Sky Movies Express. Sky is running a free train from London to Birmingham this Christmas, decked out in the style of festive films favourites and stuffed with iPads for the lucky crimble commuters.

The Sky Go Movies Express was christened by Tamsin Egerton -- off of St Trinian's, apparently -- and will make a day trip to Brum and back in the week before Christmas. Four vintage train carriages are styled after Christmassy classics Mary Poppins, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, It's a Wonderful Life and, er, The King's Speech.

Sky Go is Sky's online catch-up and on-demand service that lets Sky customers watch news, sports and films, even when they're away from their satellite dish. Sky Go is available on phones, laptops, tablets and games consoles and has recently added Sky Movies channels for those who pay for the relevant package.

Sky is doling out iPads and laptops to travellers to watch a range of movies, including such Christmas crackers as Love Actually, The Grinch and A Christmas Carol.

Classic holiday time-wasters that you've seen a million times, but probably never all the way to the end in one go, include Mary Poppins, Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, The Sound of Music and Oliver! Newer films include Inception, Iron Man 2 and various wizarding outings with Harry Potter; it's a wand-erful life, if you will.

Ironically, Due Date -- a film about a chap let down by public transport -- is also available. Sadly, no sign of Unstoppable, Unbreakable, The Fugitive, Silver Streak, Source Code or Super 8.

The train departs from London Euston station on the morning of 22 December and travels to Birmingham New Street, before returning after 7pm on the same day. Tickets are free from skymovies.com/Express.

If your journey home for the holidays is less It's a Wonderful Life and more "It's how much?!", here's our guide to bagging a cheap train ticket online.