CSX ANNOUNCES TRAVEL ROUTE TIMES FOR FIRST SANTA TRAIN TO RUN THE RAILS SINCE START OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (Nov. 16, 2022) – The historic CSX Santa Train returns to the rails in Central Appalachia this Saturday, Nov. 19, after two years of drive-thru events. The event will mark the first CSX Santa Train to run since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

Each year since 1943, CSX’s Santa Train has embarked on a journeyfrom Shelby, Ky., to Kingsport, Tenn., to spread holiday cheer while passing out gifts to families in cities along the route.

Since the announcement last month that the event would return, Santa Train sponsors CSX, Appalachian Power, Food City, Kingsport Chamber and Soles4Souls have worked around the clock to produce this year’s event. The sponsors and volunteers have secured 9,000 plush toys, 5,000 backpacks and about 2,000 other toys, along with hundreds of rolls of wrapping paper distributed by over 100 volunteers at each stop.

“The Santa Train is a time-honored tradition that brings so much joy to the people of Appalachian regions of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee,” said Bryan Tucker, vice president of CSX Corporate Communications. “We’re thrilled to be able to return to the rails for the train’s 80^th anniversary holiday season. The timing couldn’t be more meaningful.”

The CSX Santa Train will make 14 stops total this Saturday, including three stops in Kentucky, 10 stops in Virginia and one stop in Tennessee. The travel route and times is as follows:

Kentucky

—-Shelby – 6 a.m.

—-Marrowbone – 6:20 a.m.

—-Elkhorn City – 7:05 a.m.

Virginia

—-Toms Bottom – 7:45 a.m.

—-Haysi – 8:07 a.m.

—-Clinchco – 8:40 a.m.

—-Fremont – 9:08 a.m.

—-Dante – 10:08 a.m.

—-St. Paul – 10:53 a.m.

—-Dungannon – 12:03 p.m.

—-Fort Blackmore – 12:48 p.m.

—-Kermit – 1:48 p.m.

—-Waycross – 2:20 p.m.

Tennessee

—-Kingsport – 2:58 p.m.

The CSX Santa Train’s final stop will be in Kingsport, where, instead of items thrown from the train, there will be a free community event. Santa’s Depot will feature holiday activities for children of all ages at Centennial Park in downtown Kingsport from 1 until 3:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by Appalachian Power, CSX, Food City, Visit Kingsport, Kingsport Chamber, The High Road Agency, Mattern & Craig, Healthy Kingsport, City of Kingsport, Premier Homes & Properties, Cumberland Marketing and the Y.E.L.L. Mayor’s Youth Council.

Fans can use the hashtag #CSXSantaTrain22 to follow the train online and engage in the Santa Train conversation on social media.

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