All aboard!
The annual North Pole Express will begin taking passengers at the Railway Museum of British Columbia near the end of November.
Renamed the North Pole Express in 2021, the train takes passengers on a 50-minute ride. Upon return, passengers get to visit and take photographs with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus at the museum plus other amusement.
There are four weekends available to take the ride in November and December.
“There will be entertainment when they are lined up,” Craig McDowall said about this year’s setup.
McDowall, who is a board member for the museum, added that they want to make sure people aren’t just standing in line for Santa and Mrs. Claus or the mini rail ride, so they get the most out of the experience.
The train was formerly known as the Polar Express, after the book turned Warner Brothers film, before the pandemic, but that cost the museum a lot of money in royalties, so they renamed the train last year, said McDowall.
Despite the name change, McDowall said the train “still has the hot chocolate, the cookies and it leaves from the station and goes down to the estuary and back.”
“The North Pole, like last year, will be in two buildings,” he explained, “because we have the mini rail setup that runs around passed Santa and Mrs. Claus and goes out the building out to the roundhouse into the car shop to see a whole bunch of Christmas displays.”
Although the train did not run in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, McDowall said the 2021 version was a hit throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor and he expects this year to be just as successful.
“Tickets are on sale and moving very well,” he said, adding that booking the tickets through their website is the easiest.
The cost for the ride varies by what type of experience you want, but they all come with free parking and reserved seating. Coach seats are $40, whereas first class seats are $50 as they come with a take-home mug and tables on board the train.
The night rides at 6 p.m. each Saturday are $63 and they also come with the mug.
If a group of family or friends is feeling particularly fancy, they can book a private coach for up to 15 people for $2,000 plus tax. Those interested in that opportunity should call or email NorthPoleExpress@wcra.org.
While the train may seem like something only children and kids enjoy, McDowall said he’s seen all kinds of people come and enjoy the experience over the years.
“We get families out with kids that no longer believe in Santa and still want to come,” he said. “But the kicker … probably over the four weekends, we have three or four senior groups that come up.”
“They just want to get into the spirit of Christmas and you’ll get 16, 18 seniors all sitting together,” he said. “And they’ll have a ball.”
And, McDowall added, he’s even seen a few young couples solidify their relationships on the train.
“Twice in 2019, when I was walking through the train, a guy was down on his knee proposing to his girlfriend,” he said. “And both times the [women] accepted.”
For more information about the ride or to book your tickets, please visit Wcra.org.
Dates:
The event is scheduled for the following weekends:
- Nov. 26, 27;
- Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, and finally, 17 and 18.
Times:
The train will leave the station at the following times:
- Saturdays: 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- Sundays, 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- The last Sunday, Dec. 18, only has three slots as it stops after the 2 p.m. ride.
