Austin Steam Train Association, Bertram

Hi Parag! The North Pole Flyer has a tremendous amount of entertainment including visits (and gift!) from Santa, cookies and conversation with Mrs. Claus, live storytelling with our elves and coloring time. For all of our coach riders, hot chocolate is free and unlimited. You can pick up your first cup (or 3!) at the Depot before you board the train, and then during your visits to the Cedar Park car for refills. I am unsure how these things were missed in your car. To share more about your experience so we can understand, please email info@austinsteamtrain.org.

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding your ride. As noted on your “Welcome Aboard” brochure in your ticket jacket, and in the FAQ for the North Pole Flyer, our train does need to make several stops during your ride to attend to safety issues. This is a normal part of train operations, and our all-volunteer Crew does everything they can to make those stops brief and uneventful. During those stops, onboard entertainment continues, and your Car Attendant is still available to answer any questions you may have. During your ride there is always someone there to assist, including your Car Attendant, Crew Chief and Conductor. Those volunteers can help make you more comfortable, adjust climate control, help you with hot chocolate and cookies, and keep the magic going. This is a signature event of ours, and we work hard to keep our customer service excellent. We are sorry you didn’t feel like we achieved that on your ride. On the 7pm ride on Saturday night, the train was unexpectedly delayed due to an extra water stop we needed to make to service our vintage equipment. Despite that delay, we returned just 20 minutes after our scheduled time, and our Crew Chief kept everyone informed via overhead announcements, and in-person visits. When something does arise on board, we again work hard to communicate with all passengers. There is a tremendous amount of entertainment on board the North Pole Flyer, including live story-time, visits and gifts from Santa, Mrs. Claus and her locally baked cookies, hot chocolate, a coloring craft, and visits to the Cedar Park car. https://www.austinsteamtrain.org/special-events/north-pole-flyer/

Erica, As noted on your “Welcome Aboard” brochure in your ticket jacket, and in the FAQ for the North Pole Flyer, our train does need to make several stops during your ride to attend to safety issues. This is a normal part of train operations, and our all-volunteer Crew does everything they can to make those stops brief and uneventful. During those stops, onboard entertainment continues, and your Car Attendant is still available to answer any questions you may have. On the 7pm ride on Saturday night, the train was unexpectedly delayed due to an extra water stop we needed to make to service our vintage equipment. Despite that delay, we returned just 20 minutes after our scheduled time, and our Crew Chief kept everyone informed via overhead announcements, and in-person visits. When something does arise on board, we again work hard to communicate with all passengers. There is a tremendous amount of entertainment on board the North Pole Flyer, including live story-time, visits and gifts from Santa, Mrs. Claus and her locally baked cookies, hot chocolate, a coloring craft, and visits to the Cedar Park car. https://www.austinsteamtrain.org/special-events/north-pole-flyer/ During your ride there is always someone there to assist, including your Car Attendant, Crew Chief and Conductor. Those volunteers can help make you more comfortable, adjust climate control, help you with hot chocolate and cookies, and keep the magic going. This is a signature event of ours, and we work hard to keep our customer service excellent. We are sorry you didn’t feel like we achieved that on your ride.

Hi Tina! We are thrilled that you had a great time! See you again in 2022!