The 2026 Blue Ridge Train Calendar, in Plain Text

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway’s 2026 calendar, in words: regular trains leave the downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia depot at 10 a.m. (the 4-hour ride) and at 3 p.m. (a 2-hour or 4-hour ride, depending on the day). The fall season runs through November 3, and winter rides run November 5, 2026 through February 28, 2027. Whether your exact date runs is in the booking calendar, not here.

Why a plain-text version

The railway publishes its 2026 operating calendar as a color-coded PDF, a month grid where the color of each day tells you which trains run. It is hard to read on a phone and impossible to search. This page puts the parts of that calendar and the railway’s booking data that can be stated as plain facts into text. It does not list day-by-day running dates: we did not transcribe the colors day by day, and we will not guess at them. For a specific date, open the railway’s booking calendar or call (877) 413-8724.

The 2026 seasons

The railway lists four regular seasons. Fares below come from its booking system where we have them, are per seat before booking fees and taxes, and were checked October 17, 2026.

Two things the table shows. As listed, fall ends November 3 and winter starts November 5, so November 4 falls in neither; check the booking calendar before planning on that date. And the winter fare ranges are lower than fall’s in every column.

Departure times

The calendar’s key gives the two departure times; the booking system for late October to early December 2026 shows the 4-hour trains running 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the 2-hour trains 3 to 5 p.m. The railway describes the 2-Hour Express as a round trip with no layover on select dates only, so not every day has one. Both rides cover the same 26-mile round trip along the Toccoa River.

Special trains on the 2026 calendar

Trick or Treat Train, Saturday, October 31, 2026, 5 to 9 p.m. It rides to McCaysville and Copperhill, where a two-hour layover lets families trick-or-treat in a vehicle-free downtown, per the railway. On October 17 the booking system showed no seats left.

1-Hour Holiday Express. The booking system lists departures on November 28-29 and December 5-6, 12-13 and 19-24, 2026, mostly at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. (plus 4 p.m. on November 28), while the railway’s home page says select dates from November 27 to December 23; on October 17, almost every open-air departure showed zero seats left.

Rail bikes. The railway runs four-person, motor-assisted rail bikes from the depot on a 90-minute, 11-mile round trip, on days the train is in service. Children under 4 and pets cannot ride.

Booking facts that decide your date

• Book ahead. The railway does not recommend buying tickets on the day, because rides sell out weeks ahead.
• Rain or shine. Trains operate in any weather. In winter, open-air coaches get vinyl windows, and the railway still says to dress warm.
• Changing plans. Reservations can be cancelled up to 48 hours before departure for a refund less $10 per adult and $5 per child ticket; changes cost $5 per ticket.
• Fare types. On regular rides the adult fare covers ages 13 to 64, with separate senior, child and infant fares. The railway lists discounts for seniors 65 and older, active or retired military, first responders and current or retired teachers with ID, and group rates for 15 or more.
• Premier car. The adults-only (18 and older) Premier car runs on 4-hour rides only.
• Season passes. Passes cover regularly scheduled trains from mid-March through December, but not special trains such as the Holiday Express.
• Ticket office. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, seven days a week, at the depot, 241 Depot Street.

Which side of the train should you sit on?

You do not get to pick. The railway assigns cars, not seats, and every passenger switches sides of the train for the return ride. Your real choice is the coach: open-air coaches have outward-facing benches by open windows, and closed coaches are climate-controlled with padded seats in groups of four.

On the day

The railway asks riders to arrive 45 minutes before departure to park and pick up tickets, and boarding opens 30 minutes before. That arrival time matters for parking: a 10 a.m. 4-hour ride outlasts a 3-hour Main Street space, which our train-day parking article explains, and the lots are on downtown parking. For the depot, coaches, accessibility and what to do before you board, see the scenic railway from downtown; for dated trains, the train schedule. Other downtown dates are on the events calendar.

Questions people ask

Written by the Blue Ridge Downtown Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.