Skip to content

West Coast Express Santa Train returns to Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows

In exchange for new, unwrapped toy, riders can get free ticket to Vancouver
30943159_web1_santatrain2
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society volunteers accept new toys donated by people boarding the Santa Train in 2019. (The News files)

The West Coast Express Santa Train is back this year – but only for one weekend.

This year the train will run Saturday, Dec. 3, and Sunday, Dec. 4. Anyone wanting to ride the train to downtown Vancouver to enjoy holiday festivities can drop off a new, unwrapped toy donation, to receive a free train ticket.

Once in Vancouver, riders can enjoy a day of holiday sights and sounds before taking the train back home again.

All toy donations will be going to the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society for children in need in the community.

The Christmas Hamper Society was established in the late 1960’s and is a registered non-profit and a member of the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau, that is run solely by volunteers. The mandate of the society is to provide a traditional Christmas dinner and gifts for every family and child in need in Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows to open Christmas day, so every family in the community can enjoy a wonderful Christmas.

This year the Santa Train will depart Port Haney Station at 10:19 a.m., Maple Meadows Station at 10:25 a.m., and at 10:29 a.m. from Pitt Meadows Station.

READ ALSO: Registration season starts for the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society

RELATED: Head of Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society passing the reins

For the ride home the train will leave Vancouver at 5 p.m. on both days and return to Pitt Meadows at 5:44 p.m., Maple Meadows at 5:48 p.m. and will arrive at 5:54 p.m. at Port Haney Station.

“We’re delighted that the Santa train will run again this year,” said Tina Kirkpatrick, the Christmas hamper society’s board chair, noting that their volunteers will be at Port Haney, Maple Meadows and Pitt Meadows stations on both days to receive toy donations or monetary donations.

“The Santa train has been a huge success in the past and we have received upward of 500 toys over the two days that it runs,” she noted.

The Christmas hamper society has a suggestion of toy donations on their website at mrpmchristmashamper.org/wp-content/uploads/Toys.pdf.


Have a story tip? Email: cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.


Colleen Flanagan

About the Author: Colleen Flanagan

I got my start with Black Press Media in 2003 as a photojournalist.
Read more