Santa Train (2024)
For 82 years, the CSX Santa Train has been one of the nation's most cherished holiday traditions, bringing joy and hope to the heart of Appalachia. In 2024, the tradition took on even greater meaning, as the train served a region recovering from devastating storms. On Saturday, November 23, the Santa Train embarked on its iconic 110-mile route from Shelbiana, Kentucky, to Kingsport, Tennessee. Along the way, it spread holiday cheer and delivered over 15 tons of toys, gifts, and winter essentials to thousands of excited families. Since 1943, the Santa Train has stood as a symbol of community and compassion during the holiday season, and in 2024, it remained a beacon of joy for all who encountered it.
The year 2024 brought an exciting addition to the celebration with the Holiday Express event in Erwin, Tennessee. The event welcomed an estimated 4,000 attendees and featured a special performance by country artist Drew Holcomb in an area deeply impacted by Hurricane Helene. With the vital support of partners like Appalachian Power, Food City, the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, and Soles4Souls, the CSX Santa Train continued its proud legacy of making a meaningful difference. Join us as we take you inside this heartwarming experience, with videos capturing the magic, tradition, and togetherness that make the Santa Train so special.
Videos and Photos
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Santa Train Packing Party
To deliver holiday cheer along the historic route in Appalachia, our ONE CSX elves were hard at work packing over 15 tons of gifts!
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2024 Holiday Express & Santa Train Highlights
We’re excited to share highlights from our CSX Holiday Express event in Erwin, TN, and our annual CSX Santa Train run through Appalachia! Bringing neighbors together to spread joy and offer support is what this tradition is all about. We’re grateful to be part of these amazing communities and remain dedicated to strengthening them—together.
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2024 CSX Holiday Express
CSX’s roots run deep in Appalachia. After flooding from Hurricane Helene caused unprecedented devastation in Erwin, TN, the ONE CSX team knew our neighbors needed something special to raise their spirits. Our CSX Holiday Express event, hosted as the preamble to the The Santa Train, brought heartfelt support and joyful fun to the residents of Erwin as we celebrated the resilience of this community.
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2024 CSX Santa Train
The holiday season officially began with the running of our cherished CSX Santa Train, now in its 82nd year. This year holds special meaning for our ONE CSX team as we worked hard to deliver for neighbors in storm-impacted communities across Appalachia—providing winter gear, school supplies, toys and more. We are deeply honored to continue The Santa Train tradition, and grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s journey possible!
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2024 CSX Santa Train: Earl Mitchel Recognition
Congratulations to CSX Manager of Business Fleet Operations, Earl Mitchell, and the CSX Business Fleet crew on receiving the 2024 Ed Moore Award! This annual honor celebrates the selfless service of those who greatly support The Santa Train.
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2024 CSX Santa Train: Eula
Eula, a resident of Dante, VA, has proudly welcomed the CSX Santa Train for 72 years. We’re grateful to be part of this beloved holiday tradition for neighbors like Eula, for whom this means so much.
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2024 CSX Santa Train: Engineer Steffey and Conductor Chandler
The CSX Santa Train is a special tradition for both the communities along the route in Appalachia and our ONE CSX team who help make it happen! This year, CSX Engineer Hubert “Scott” Steffey and CSX Conductor Jeff Chandler were excited to help kick the holiday season into high gear. While Jeff logged his first running of the CSX Santa Train, this year marked Scott’s final run as he prepares for a well-deserved retirement after a stellar 30-year career at CSX.
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2024 CSX Santa Train: LRay Strickland
LRay Strickland, CSX Director of Project Management, exemplifies what makes CSX special—building for the future while honoring our rich history. In 1994, LRay was one of the first female Managers of Train Operations on the iconic CSX Santa Train. This year, she returned aboard the CSX Santa Train to celebrate the momentum we’re creating at CSX and to support this cherished tradition.
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2024 CSX Santa Train: Rob Arnold
For nearly 50 years, Rob Arnold and his family have cherished the magic of the CSX Santa Train. This year, after the devastation of Hurricane Helene, the long-standing tradition took on even greater meaning. Thanks to our ONE CSX team, our partners and volunteers who make the CSX Santa Train possible, holiday joy once again rolled into the heart of Appalachia when it was needed most.
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2024 CSX Santa Train: Jesse and Angie Hensley
Giving back to their community is what drives CSX employee Jesse Hensley and his wife Angie. In the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene, they helped rally their neighbors in Erwin, TN, and they brought that same passion to this year’s CSX Santa Train. Together aboard the CSX Santa Train, they helped deliver joy and holiday cheer to towns across Appalachia.
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