KINGSPORT, Tenn. — The annual CSX Santa Train trip is set for Saturday, Nov. 22, the railroad has announced.
The 83rd running of the train, a tradition dating to 1943, will again feature a 110-mile trip from Shelbiana, Ky., to Kingsport, distributing more than 15 tons of toys, gifts, and winter apparel to thousands of families.
“What makes the CSX Santa Train special isn’t the miles it covers, but the moments and memories it creates for families,” Bryan Tucker, CSX vice president of stakeholder engagement and sustainability, said in a press release. “We’re touched by the generations of families who gather to welcome the CSX Santa Train year after year and by the overwhelming support it receives across the country.
“Supporting the communities where we live and work is at the heart of our ONE CSX culture. It’s about bringing people together, sharing joy, and honoring a tradition that helps connect families across the region. It’s a privilege to help carry this legacy forward and share in the joy it brings.”
CSX’s video announcing this year’s train is below. A full schedule and additional details are still to come. Follow the CSX Santa Train page on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
Last year’s nine-hour trip featured CSX’s recently unveiled Clinchfield Railroad heritage locomotive, honoring the CSX predecessor that launched the Santa Train tradition [see “News photos: CSX Santa Train makes annual trip,” Nov. 25, 2024]. It was preceded by a visit of some of the equipment to Erwin, Tenn., for a special event to raise the spirits of those along the portion of the former Clinchfield that had been devastated by Hurricane Helene two months earlier [see “CSX brings Holiday Express …,” Trains.com, Nov. 23, 2024].
Awesome tradition, thank you CSX! Proud to be a stockholder.