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West Virginia Christmas Train Rides (2026): A Complete Guide

Last revised: September 14, 2026

By: Adam Burns

West Virginia’s Christmas trains are Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad North Pole Express in Romney and Cass Scenic Railroad Christmas at Cass. Neither is licensed Polar Express. Durbin & Greenbrier Valley’s Elkins Polar product is not on the 2026 Polar directory and is not listed here. See the Polar Express hub if that is the ticket you want.

Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad's North Pole Express

Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad's historic F7A #722, dressed in Baltimore & Ohio's classic passenger livery, is decorated for their annual North Pole Express. PESR photo.

On this page: At a glance · Christmas hosts · Planning tips

West Virginia Christmas trains at a glance

HostCity2026 productBook
Potomac Eagle Scenic RailroadRomneyNorth Pole Express. ~75 min. Coach and First Class. 2026 tickets on sale; confirm dates and faresRailroad site
Cass Scenic RailroadCassChristmas at Cass, Friday–Sunday first three weeks of December. ~1 hr steam. Coach $55 / $45; caboose $60 / $50Cass Christmas page

Schedules and fares change. Confirm on each railroad before you book. Information compiled September 10, 2026. These are Christmas trains—not licensed THE POLAR EXPRESS™ events. West Virginia has no 2026 Polar host on the national Polar directory.

Christmas hosts

Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad

(Romney): 149 Eagle Drive, Wappocomo Station. Christmas is the North Pole Express—the railroad’s own name, not a Rail Events Polar license. About 75 minutes northbound with no layover: carols, milk and cookies, Santa boards, a gift for each child. Event barn on the grounds (closes 7:00 p.m.). Coach or First Class. Vintage cars; dress in layers. Boarding 30 minutes before departure.

2026: Tickets are on sale. Confirm the full November–December grid and live fares at potomaceagle.com. Do not mix this with the Holiday Trough dinner train.

Cass Scenic Railroad

(Cass): 12363 Cass Road. Christmas is Christmas at Cass, a steam trip along the Greenbrier River, about an hour, decorated heated coaches, limited caboose seats, a gift for each child in the fare. Not wheelchair accessible. Not Polar Express. Park and Friends of Cass add depot activities on the weekends.

2026: Friday through Sunday the first three weeks of December. Coach adult $55, child (4–11) $45, senior $53, military $51; caboose $5 more; infants 3 and under free with a ticket. On sale at mountainrailwv.com. More on the Cass Christmas page.

Planning tips

  • Elkins Polar Express is not a 2026 listing. Do not drive to Elkins for Polar on the strength of an old photo.
  • Romney and Cass are different mountains. GPS the depot on your ticket.
  • Cass is steam and a state park company town. Potomac Eagle is diesel on the South Branch. Different railroads.
  • Mountain December: coat, closed-toe shoes, extra drive time. Cell service is thin at Cass.

Related Reading on American-Rails.com

Always verify 2026 schedules, fares, and event names on each railroad’s official website before you travel. American-Rails.com does not sell tickets.

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