All Aboard! The Glittering Holiday Caltrain Is Rolling By This Weekend

There’s no doubt that it’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays when even our transportation will be decked out in festive decorations.

After a two-year hiatus, the Caltrain “Holiday Train” glowing with more than 60,000 lights and decorations will stop at four stations on both Saturday and Sunday to collect toys for local children. The closest stations to Cupertino are Santa Clara and Sunnyvale stops.

Each station will feature different, free entertainment at each 20-minute stop. Residents can snap photos with Santa, Mrs. Claus and Frosty while singing along to songs from the traditional Salvation Army brass band and on-board carolers. 

Members of the United States Marine Corps Reserves and representatives from the Salvation Army will be on hand to collect donations of new, unwrapped toys for Bay Area children who might otherwise go without any this holiday season.  

The schedule is as follows: 

Saturday, Dec. 1

Station

Arrive

Depart

San Francisco

4:00 p.m.

4:45 p.m.

Burlingame

5:15 p.m.

5:35 p.m.

Redwood City

6:15 p.m.

6:35 p.m.

Mountain View

6:55 p.m.

7:15 p.m.

Santa Clara

8:10 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 2

Station

Arrive

Depart

San Francisco

4:00 p.m.

4:50 p.m.

Millbrae

5:15 p.m.

5:35 p.m.

San Mateo

6:20 p.m.

6:40 p.m.

Menlo Park

7:45 p.m.

8:05 p.m.

Sunnyvale

8:40 p.m.

9:00 p.m.

Santa’s helpers can get into the holiday spirit by donating or becoming a sponsor on the Caltrain Holiday Train website: www.holiday-train.org. The Silicon Valley Community Foundation primarily sponsored the event and brought it back from its two-year hiatus. 

At the Redwood City Hometown Holidays parade on Dec. 1, a glittering SamTrans bus and a SamTrans mini-bus will also drive the route.

SamTrans employees and their families will ride in the festive bus and walk alongside during the parade.