THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride at Whippany Station

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride in Whippany, New Jersey, boards at Whippany Station on the Morristown & Erie Railway and is presented with Rail Events Productions. The operator describes a one-hour trip to meet Santa, set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack and led by a cast of actors: car hosts punch each golden ticket, dancing chefs serve hot chocolate and Walker's Shortbread, and passengers read along with the book by Chris Van Allsburg.

Santa and his helpers board the train and give each guest the first gift of Christmas, a silver sleigh bell, and characters lead caroling. There are two classes of service: Coach Class in restored commuter coaches, and First Class in restored 1940s-era coaches, whose passengers also take home a collectible ceramic mug.

The operator says that this event has no outdoor North Pole set; Santa boards the train during the show. It also runs sensory-friendly departures with softer audio and limited flashing lights.

Roughly two hours in all, including check-in, with about one hour on the train: golden tickets punched by car hosts, hot chocolate and shortbread from dancing chefs, a read-along of the book, caroling, and a visit from Santa with a silver sleigh bell. Coach seats face the centre of the car; seats are assigned at checkout.

Boards at Whippany Station, 1 Railroad Plaza, Whippany, New Jersey. The operator asks guests to arrive about 60 minutes before the listed showtime; the box office closes at showtime and no passenger can board after it. Parking is at 1 Railroad Plaza; a parking pass per vehicle is added at checkout and the ticket confirmation serves as the pass. Disabled parking is adjacent to the station, with wheelchair spaces in select coaches bookable online. Reservation line: 973-419-6255.