Santa may want to avoid parking his sleigh in Manhattan this season.
For the first time ever, a “holiday train” is hitting the tracks on the Metro-North Railroad. The MTA has fitted out a single train with festive lights and plans to roll it out starting Friday through the end of the year.
The colorful choo choo won’t be easy to find, as the MTA plans to run it “on a random rotation” across all three of Metro-North’s lines, according to a press release from the agency.
“We wanted to create something special for our community and bring back the sense of wonder, especially for children, and for children of all ages,” Metro-North Railroad Chief Operating Officer Justin Vonashek wrote in a statement. “It’s a way for us to connect with our passengers and create lasting memories during this festive time of year when days are short and darkness is long. We hope these colorful lights spark excitement and a sense of holiday cheer for all who come aboard and who see the train pass by.”
The train will also run holiday-themed safety messages.
The MTA also announced plans to bring back its annual run of vintage “nostalgia” subway trains this holiday season every Sunday in December. The agency puts old trains from the New York Transit Museum back into service every year.
Last year, havoc broke out on those holiday subway rides when vandals and thieves kept stealing vintage parts from the old trains in what Transit Museum Director Concetta Anne Bencivenga called a “troubling display of dangerous behavior.”
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