Disappointing that Lego continues to market this set when the motor and battery have been out of stock for months. I bought this with the intention of having it run through our Christmas village this year and I’m very disappointed that it will be sitting static for who knows how long until you get these parts available again. Extremely poor planning on Lego’s part to release a set, advertise the motorization and then have it be unattainable. You’re better than this Lego. Do better.
I’ve never been a big review writer, but this build was so disappointing. I kept thinking that maybe there would be something special or surprising about the next car, or maybe it will be fun to see the moving parts when it moves around the track. But the wheels don’t grip the track well at all, so it’s constantly derailing. Also the engine and bear are not heavy enough to activate their moving parts consistently. The price increase just makes it even more sad.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from LEGOBy Leah, LEGO® Customer Service, December 11, 2025
Thank you for your review. We're sorry that you're having issues with your Holiday Express Train set. We'd love to help troubleshoot these issues. Please reach out to us at LEGO.build/Service-BV.
I added the motor and such so the train can be remote controlled but it has serious traction issues. Even when I remove the back two cars it has trouble moving consistently around the track and frequently slips and stalls. I rebuilt the set three times to make sure it was all assembled properly and that all parts could move freely but still had the same issue. The set on its own is nice but disappointed in how it runs with a motor.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from LEGOBy Leah, LEGO® Customer Service, December 9, 2025
Thank you for your review. We're sorry to hear that your set is having issues with the traction. Please give us a shout at LEGO.build/Service-BV so we can help troubleshoot these issues.
I was disappointed that there was not an additional building available for my "village" and was not excited about the train. However, it far exceeded my expectations. It was a very fun build; there was more track than I assumed was in the set; and my grands LOVE it!!
MOTORS NOT A PART OF THIS KIT. ALL ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS ARE BACK ORDERED OR NOT AVAILABLE. I'm a big LEGO fan (over 20 years), and I have to say one was a real Christmas letdown. They advertised the set in a way that made you believe the motors were part of this kit, so that when it's built, the train will run. I even looked at similar kits in the store (the Explorers Arctic Polar Express Train), which explicitly stated that the smart devices are NOT included. But nowhere on this box does it say that or that you will need to purchase extra parts. I was so excited to purchase this with my fiancé to think that we can add a moving LEGO train under our Christmas tree this year. After I opened it, it was the biggest letdown, and I feel like I've been cheated. All 88009, 88011, 88010, which are needed to run this train, are back-ordered till spring next year, or outright not available. This is such a disappointment. I didn't think LEGO would go like this make you buy their product, especially since this brand has done so well for their comeback.