Caltrain Hosts Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Train
By Alex Eisenhart | @AlexOnTransit
[gallery ids="7622,7623,7625,7627,7628,7629,7630,7631,7632" type="slideshow"] Caltrain was proud to host this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Train, sponsored by the Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Foundation (NorCalMLK). This year nearly 900 people made their way up the Peninsula onboard the Celebration Train on their way to festivities in San Francisco honoring the life and legacy of Dr. King. The free train ride pays tribute to the historic 54-mile 1965 Selma to Montgomery March. Passengers arrived early at San Jose Diridon Station with enthusiasm, many wearing MLK attire, holding signs, singing songs and chanting as they waited to board the Celebration Train. In addition to a commemorative ticket given to everyone, children received complimentary goodie bags with snacks, activity booklets and crayons. Some folks also had the chance to speak with reporters on site about the festivities and what MLK Day means to them. Meanwhile, at the San Mateo station, passengers awaiting the arrival of the Celebration Train enjoyed local festivities featuring addresses from local government leaders, including Assemblyman Marc Berman. Onboard the train, Caltrain staff held an MLK trivia game offering riders the chance to win free prizes while a choir from the New Life Fellowship Praise team sang celebratory songs up and down the train cars. Upon arriving at San Francisco, the choir led the crowd of passengers off the platform into a station packed with onlookers and news crews. The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Train has been a Caltrain tradition since 1985 and we look forward to continuing the tradition for years to come.
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Alex Eisenhart is a Public Affairs Specialist with the San Mateo County Transit District’s Communications Department.