The Texas State Railroad made an early visit to Palestine, Texas, last week delivering the gift of a Golden Ticket to The United Way of East/Central Texas gifting 100 tickets this season for The Polar Express™ Train Ride. The Polar Express™ Train Ride begins November 18 and runs through December 23. The magical story comes to life when the train departs Palestine, T.X. for a one-hour round trip journey to “The North Pole.”
“We are thrilled to partner with The Polar Express and have families of our partner charities enjoy the train during the holiday season,” shares Richard Jones, executive director of The United Way of East/Central Texas. “This truly gets everyone in the spirit of this time of year.”
“The visit from our loveable conductor expresses the commitment we have to the local community and spreading holiday cheer during this season of giving,” shares Angela Lane, vice president of sales and marketing for Premier Rail Collection.” We look forward to our upcoming season and offering lasting holiday memories on the journey to the North Pole.”
Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, passengers will relive the magic of the story as they are whisked away on The Polar Express™ Train Ride. Once on-board, cheerful, dancing chefs serve passengers hot chocolate and cookies while they read along with the classic children’s book, The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg. Santa and his helpers greet passengers at the North Pole and then board the train, where each child is given the first gift of Christmas – a silver sleigh bell. Chefs aboard each car lead passengers in singing Christmas carols on the ride back to Palestine.
The journey begins Nov. 18 and runs through Dec. 23 on select dates, with departure times at 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. Exact dates, fares and excursion times are available by visiting this website. Ticket prices range from $20 to $109 depending on class of service and date of travel. Families are encouraged to wear their pajamas for the ride.
Story by Charlotte Park
