The Holiday Express Train made a stop in Louisiana last Christmas season, and delighted hundreds of good boys and girls when they visited Westlake, LaPlace, Gonzales, Baton Rouge, Pineville, Coushatta, Mansfield and Shreveport. The official name of the festive train is the Kansas City Southern Holiday Express, and they are known for bringing cheer to cities who might need a little extra Christmas spirit. And they always make a generous donation to each city’s Salvation Army chapter.
In 2020 the Holiday Express is celebrating their 20th anniversary, and their website describes what they do best. They are “a festive, six-car train that brings Santa Claus and his elves to communities throughout the company’s U.S. rail network at scheduled stops. Guests to the train can visit with Santa Claus and walk through three cars filled with holiday displays.
Because of coronavirus concerns this year, the train will not make any physical stops, but they will still manage to impact cities in need along the Kansas City Southern railway network. In celebration of their partnership with Salvation Army, they are making the public part of their amazing fundraising efforts for communities in need. Tax deductible donations can be made through their KCS Holiday Express campaign, and will be distributed through the Salvation Army to twenty cities this year. Four of those are right here in Louisiana. Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Shreveport and Westlake will all be recipients from the holiday magic this year. For details on all the cities that will benefit, or how you can help, check out the official Holiday Express webste. And we look forward to seeing the refurbished train cars with all their Christmas cheer in 2021!