Holiday transit buses and trains

The Chicago Transit Authority is well known for creating a holiday train which runs throughout the system.  I didn't know they have a holiday bus too.  This year the CTA holiday transit vehicles are sponsored by local grocery and pharmacy chain Jewel-Osco.

The transit agency in Jacksonville, Florida has done the same with a modern transit bus (Press release).

The bus runs on various routes and is free to ride, and is accompanied by holiday music, decorations and free candy canes.




Old New York Central passenger rail holiday promotional ad, circa 1950s.

And so do railroad excursion operations such as the Hoosic Valley Line of the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum in Massachusetts, which runs the "Tinseliner" holiday train.

I've wondered why such promotional rail tours aren't run out of Washington's Union Station as a way to promote passenger rail.  It could be done on the weekends on the Camden Line maybe.

Freight railroads also do holiday trains to distribute gifts as a community service venture, such as BNSF ("All aboard the Santa Claus Express: Annual Christmas train to make stop in Barstow this year," Barstow Daily Press), Norfolk Southern ("Holiday train to roll through SE Michigan," Toledo Blade), and CSX ("75th Santa Train run brings hope, holiday spirit to coal country," MTSU Sidelines).