North Pole Express

Thanks to everyone who helped make North Pole Express 2023 a success. Once again, all the trains were sold out!
---NOTICE--- North Pole Express 2024 tickets will go on sale on June 3, 2024.

Join us on this fun and traditional train ride experience! A family favorite, this 90-minute round trip to the North Pole includes hot cocoa and Mrs. Claus' famous chocolate chip cookies. You'll sing along to new and traditional Christmas favorites on the way and be entertained by our hosts, elves, cocoa chefs, and special guests. When we reach the North Pole, Santa will join us for the return trip and greet each child and present them with a special gift.

North Pole Express ticket prices vary by coach and date.

All North Pole Class passengers enjoy, hot cocoa, a yummy chocolate chip cookie, and a special gift from Santa. And of course, great entertainment from our crew!

NORTH POLE CLASS Coaches (Dasher, Vixen, St Nick): All North Pole Class passengers enjoy hot cocoa, a yummy chocolate chip cookie, and a special gift from Santa. And of course great entertainment from our cast and crew!
DASHER (coach 4966) - Capacity 80
VIXEN (coach 803) - Capacity 70
ST. NICK (coach 301) - Capacity 24
JINGLE (coach 324) - Capacity 60

FIRST CLASS Coaches (Rudolph, Dancer, Prancer, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen coaches): All First-Class passengers enjoy, hot cocoa, a yummy chocolate chip cookie, a collectible North Pole Express souvenir mug, and a special gift from Santa.
RUDOLPH (the Red Caboose) - Capacity 12
DANCER (First Class coach 850) - Capacity 44 sold by tables for 4
PRANCER (First Class coach 481) - Capacity 44 Sold by tables for 4
COMET (First Class coach 801) - Capacity 66
CUPID (First Class coach 802) - Capacity 76
DONNER (First Class coach 741) - Capacity 28
DONNER Lounge (First Class coach 741 Lounge) - Capacity 10
BLITZEN (First Class coach 112) - Capacity 32

See the Gallery section below for pictures of all the North Pole Express coaches.

Important to Know:
Please arrive 30-45 minutes BEFORE Departure. All trains leave on time! Allow extra time for weather and traffic in the canyons (Provo Canyon and Parley's Canyon).
The Heber Valley Railroad will operate North Pole Express this year at full capacity. Typically all trains and all cars will be full.
All coaches are heated. Toilets are available on board. All passengers occupying a seat must have an Adult or Child ticket. Toddler/lap tickets are required for Toddlers age 1 and under. Toddlers do not have a seat. Toddlers receive all the North Pole Express amenities (cocoa, cookie, gift from Santa).
All North Pole Express seats are assigned prior to boarding! If you want to try and sit near friends or family who have purchased tickets on separate orders, you must contact the ticket office by phone and make these arrangements at least 5 days prior to your scheduled train. Keep in mind that you are purchasing tickets in a specific train coach. If your family/friends purchase tickets in a different coach we cannot seat you together. We strongly suggest purchasing tickets on a single order for groups who wish to sit together!
Car seats and strollers are not allowed on the train. Please drop them off at the ticket office when you check in, and pick them up there after your return.
Due to the historic nature of our train equipment, we cannot accommodate wheelchairs and walkers on the train. Wheelchair/walker passengers will have to be carried on board by your family/group and seated in our regular seats. We will store wheelchairs/walkers in the ticket office and return them to your boarding steps on the return.
The Heber Valley Railroad does NOT offer refunds for North Pole Express tickets. If trains or tickets must be cancelled, either by us, or by passengers, we will provide a credit for future train ride tickets, which will be good for 2 years.

The North Pole Express departs from, and returns to, our depot at 450 South 600 West, Heber City Utah.

Dates and Departure Times:

Wednesday November 22nd at 5 pm and 7:30 pm - Preseason pricing

Friday and Saturday, November 24^th and 25th, at 11:30 am, 2 pm, 5 pm and 7:30 pm - Prime pricing

Monday - Thursday, November 27th - November 30th, at 5 pm and 7:30 pm - Preseason pricing

Friday and Saturday, December 1st and 2nd at 11:30 am, 2 pm, 5 pm and 7:30 pm - Prime pricing

Monday - Friday, December 4th thru December 8th, at 5 pm and 7:30 pm - Season pricing

Saturday, December 9th, at 11:30 am, 2 pm, 5 pm, and 7:30 pm - Prime pricing

Monday, December 11th thru Friday, December 15th at 5 pm and 7:30 pm - Season pricing

Saturday, December 16th, at 11:30 am, 2 pm, 5 pm and 7:30 pm - Prime pricing

Monday, December 18th & Tuesday, December 19th at 5pm and 7:30 pm - Season pricing

Wednesday and Thursday, December 20-21st at 5 pm, and 7:30 pm - Prime Pricing

Friday and Saturday, December 22nd and 23rd at 11:30 am, 2 pm, 5 pm and 7:30 pm - Prime Pricing

North Pole Express Tips:

Here are some tips and suggestions for buying your tickets and ensuring a great experience.

1. Buy your tickets early! Almost all NPE tickets are sold out by early November. The Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, Saturdays, and the days just before Christmas sell out first. You should assume that all trains will be sold out before the first train runs in November. As we get closer to November start date, moving groups, adding tickets, or making other changes to orders becomes very difficult.

3. Seating. When you purchase tickets for NPE, you are buying tickets for a specific train car and class of service. We will pre-assign your family or group to specific seats in your car. When your group boards the train, we will escort you to your pre-assigned seats. For example, a 70-seat train car will normally have 60 people on board for NPE.

5. Combining Groups. Please remember if you have other friends, family, or groups who have purchased tickets separately from you, they will not be seated next to you. If you want to combine your group (of purchased tickets) with another group who purchased separately in your same car, we will try and accommodate that, but we need to know several days or even weeks in advance! Please note that North Pole Express always sells out, and we will be unable to move you or change assigned seats as we get closer to the November start date.

6. Heated Train Cars. The train cars are all heated. Please note that most of the train cars on the NPE are 70-100+ years old. They are heated in variety of ways, some with steam heat and others with propane heat. We suggest passengers dress warmly and shed layers as needed.

7. Toilets on the train. The NPE will have toilets on the train - for emergency use. Some cars do not have toilets and so if you need to go, one of our staff will escort you to the nearest car with a toilet. Note that in some cases you may have to walk through two or three train cars to reach a toilet.

8. Classes of Service. This year we have two classes of service: North Pole Class, and First Class. Both classes of service are an amazing, wonderful experience. There are two main differences between classes. The main one is the train car itself. The nicer and more luxurious cars are in First Class. First Class also receives a take-home souvenir NPE cocoa mug. All passengers are served a delicious chocolate chip cookie and a hot cocoa during the ride. And all coaches get amazing service from our staff and a special gift from Santa!

9. Interacting. In typical NPE years, our talented staff of elves, chefs, hosts, and Santa interact closely with passengers including dancing in the aisles, posing for pictures, holding babies, etc. Our staff and entertainers will typically not wear masks. Of course, any passengers who want to wear masks are welcome to do so. Santa will be able to pose for pictures with families.

10. Cookies will be individually wrapped and handed out by our elves with gloves on. Hot cocoa will be delivered by gloved hands.

11. Boarding and deboarding the Train. We will board family/groups one at a time, and escort you to your pre-assigned seats. So if it is very cold outside, you can wait until boarding time to move out to your car.

12. Arrive early. All NPE trains leave on time! NPE trains usually start boarding about 15-20 minutes before departure. The canyons (Provo and Parleys) in route to the Heber Valley often have traffic and weather slowdowns. Allow extra time to arrive. We suggest arriving at the depot no later than 40 minutes prior to your departure time. If you are late and miss your train, it is unlikely that we can put you on a later train as all trains are usually sold out.

13. Toddlers and Toddler Tickets. Toddler tickets specify that your toddler is sitting on a lap and does not occupy a seat on the train. The Toddler Ticket includes the cocoa, cookie, and gift from Santa.