Caltrain To Collect Toys In Spite of Holiday Train Suspension

By

November 3, 2010

Although budget issues have forced Caltrain to suspend its annual Holiday Train, Santa still needs toys for good little girls and boys. The San Mateo County Transit District, the managing agency for the commuter railroad, will conduct a toy drive from Nov. 8 to Dec. 6.

The public is invited to join employees in keeping the holiday spirit alive by dropping off a new, unwrapped toy at the Transit District’s headquarters, located at 1250 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos. Santa will work with the Salvation Army and the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program to distribute the toys.

Although a scaled-down version of the event with fewer stops and less decorations was considered, logistical challenges could not be overcome in time to meet Santa’s hard deadline of Dec. 25.

Holiday Train co-chair Christiane Kwok said, “As people begin to do their holiday shopping this season, we hope they will consider buying a toy for the toy drive. It is our hope that the Holiday Train will be back next year, better than ever.”

  
left photo by Raul Valdez

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Caltrain is a commuter rail line operating between San Francisco and San Jose, with commute service to Gilroy. Average weekday ridership on the mix of 90 local, limited and express weekday trains is 38,000. Local, hourly service is provided on Saturdays and Sundays.

Caltrain is owned and operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, a partnership of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the San Mateo County Transit District and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.