Polar Express Train back on the tracks
The Polar Express Train route is a short roundtrip–from the Santa Cruz Boardwalk to a North Pole just outside of Capitola. On Saturday, riders whose original tickets had been canceled lined up for the ride. Others were just curious to see what it’s all about.
“We were scheduled for December 3rd and then we were notified through email that it was suspended,” said passenger Wendy Penix.
Now that the Polar Express holiday train is back on the tracks, the Penix family came all the way from Lodi to ride it.
“This is our first time doing the Polar Express and we’re very excited that it’s up and running today,” said Penix.
The popular train ride, based on a children’s book, first came to a halt when train cars didn’t make it time for its first run. The holiday train ran into another snag when it was suspended after the Federal Railroad Administration found 32 defects along the tracks.
“These tracks are in poor condition because Southern Pacific let them deteriorate after the last time they had regular passenger rail service,” said Polar Express rider Larry Freitas.
Earlier this week, railroad crews with Iowa Pacific Holdings made repairs on the tracks for Saturday’s re-launch. A Polar Express spokesperson said it’s now safe to ride.
“Hopefully they fixed all the issues and everybody will have a safe and enjoyable ride,” said Ron Penix.
“I want to see what it’s like to be on a train on these tracks and again though, they should be upgraded,” said Freitas.
Some Santa Cruz and Capitola residents expressed concerns that the train, which runs through neighborhoods, would mean noise and traffic congestion. But Susan Roberts, who lives close to the Polar Express North Pole said the train is actually too quiet and plans to file a complaint.
“The whistle should be blown for safety. It hasn’t been blown,” said Roberts. “Plus they had changed their schedule because they had to cancel and so we don’t really know what’s going on or when it’s going on.”
Other residents have told KION they’re happy the train is running, calling it a fun, family friendly activity. Tickets for an adult start at $54 and $44 for kids.
