For the many public transit doubters in the United States, the idea of a train being anything near holly or jolly might seem ludicrous. This was what commuter rail operator Metrolink aimed to prove wrong with their Holiday Express train service, which will visit Irvine Station for the first time on Dec. 13 and 14.

With festive decorations and icons like Santa and Mrs. Claus on board, the Holiday Express will make a round trip between Irvine Station and the San Clemente coast. Irvine Station’s tickets sold out quickest out of the offered departure stations, including Los Angeles Union, San Bernardino, Riverside and Simi Valley.

At the Union Station trip on Dec. 6, celebrations began even before departure, where Santa hat-wearing staff made balloon animals and distributed Metrolink merchandise while local businesses provided free hot chocolate and ran a toy drive. On board, a nonstop parade of characters including elves, a quartet of carolers and Anna and Elsa from “Frozen” came down the aisle posing for photos, asking holiday trivia and singing and dancing with kids.

“My son’s 3—he really likes trains—and it felt like a safe, family-friendly Christmas experience,” rider Meghan Tallent said. “It’s definitely a little bit of a different spin, and a chance to celebrate and see where we live in LA too.”

Since the Holiday Express’ inception in 2019, the atmosphere has been intended to appeal to families that usually drive to malls or the Irvine Park Railroad and wait in long lines for Santa photos, while familiarizing them with taking transit. 

After pausing due to COVID-19, the program was restarted in 2023 and has become an annual tradition, operating from a rotating set of stations. Irvine Station was selected partly, according to Metrolink spokesperson Brett Hawkins, for its accessible layout and abundant parking.

Although 2026’s stations have not yet been decided, Hawkins expects another Orange County stop.

With many Holiday Express riders having never taken a Metrolink train before, Hawkins said that after riding one, parents especially come to recognize the trains as affordable, safe and green. He also said exposing teen riders, some already local bus users, to Metrolink’s regionwide network familiarizes them with taking transit on nonlocal trips, such as to colleges and leisure destinations such as beach cities and Disneyland.

“It is sort of a vessel that introduces the aspect of taking a train in Southern California, the most car-dominated culture in the world, and presents that as an alternative option,” Hawkins said. “Skipping traffic and not worrying about parking and dealing with all the other nonsense. … Our younger generations are picking up on that as well.”