TicketsWest.com

The Holiday Express is run by the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation. ORHF appreciates the patronage of all people who come to see and ride the Holiday Express.

The Holiday Express consists of a unique collection of historic railroad passenger equipment. This equipment was designed and built in a past generation before the advent of technology that accommodates people with special needs. While we strive to make the train safe and available for as many people as possible, including people with special needs, there is one category that we unfortunately cannot accommodate.

These historic rail passenger cars were not designed to carry wheelchairs safely or to allow the passage of wheelchairs safely between the cars. This is a moving train that was built with no safe means of transporting passengers in wheelchairs. When Congress adopted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Congress recognized the limitations of such railroad passenger equipment and expressly exempted trains of this type from complying with the ADA.

Our volunteers have been trained to inform anyone who wishes to ride the train in a wheelchair that we cannot accommodate that request due to issues of safety. All persons with special needs who can board the train themselves using our staircase and can occupy a standard passenger seat are more than welcome to ride the Holiday Express. Under Federal law carrying an individual with a disability is considered ineffective and, therefore, an unacceptable method for achieving accessibility. For this reason, we cannot allow people with special needs to be carried on board the train. 41 C.F.R. Pt. 35.

Once again, we thank you for your patronage of the Holiday Express and your understanding of the limitations that are inherent with historic rail equipment of this type.