KANSAS CITY — In its second annual trip, Kansas City Southern’s Holiday Express train will bring Santa Claus and his elves to visit 24 communities in seven states throughout the KCS system, including Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois. At each stop, KCS will make a contribution to the local Salvation Army.
Holiday Express is an entirely volunteer project. This year, through the charitable contributions of KCS’ employees and friends, the Kansas City Southern Charitable Fund will provide more than 1,500 Wal-Mart gift cards valued at $25 each to local Salvation Armies, designated for the purchase of children’s warm clothing. In addition to monetary contributions, Holiday Express volunteers donate their time for all aspects of train operations, including Santa Claus and his band of jolly elves!
The Holiday Express premiered in 2001, after KCS employees dedicated more than 8,000 hours to the rigorous transformation of a retired freight train to its present day grandeur. Led by KCS’ Southern Belle, the five-car Holiday Express train includes a smiling tank car, a ginger bread box car, a flat car carrying Santa’s sleigh, reindeer and miniature village, the elves’ workshop and a little red caboose. Festive music and lights complete the package.
The train’s route has been expanded in 2002, to include some communities not previously visited by the Holiday Express. The train will make large public appearances at Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.’s Union Stations, as well as Shreveport, La.’s “Rockets Over the Red” celebration. In 21 smaller communities, public events will be held where kids can board the train to visit with Santa and receive a small gift bag. The Holiday Express project would not be possible without the generous sponsorships of DST Systems, Inc., Mid-America Car, Inc., Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., C.A.M., Inc. and Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc.
KCS is a transportation holding company that has railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. Its primary holding is Kansas City Southern Railway, which serves customers in the central and south central regions of the U.S. KCS’ rail holdings and investments are primary components of a NAFTA Railway system that links the commercial and industrial centers of the U.S., Canada and Mexico.