Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad

Absolutely wonderful! The staff are some of the nicest, most accommodating people I've ever met. The train is wonderful. The ride itself is so smooth, it felt like I was riding on air. They must really put a lot of time into maintaining the tracks, as I've never had such a smooth ride. The food and service is awesome. Such a fantastic way to spend the afternoon. The scenery is gorgeous. Highly recommend!!

If you’re looking for a scenic train ride through the mountains, then this is the train for you. You can expect 3 hours of beautiful scenery along the Potomac river on tracks that cut through the mountainside. There are plenty of eagle nests in the trees and the possibility of seeing deer and other wildlife as well as a couple cows from some local farmers. There’s a lot of history that ties into this railroad that you get to hear about while enjoying the ride. There’s options for snacks or various lunch options depending by which cart you choose. There is an open air cart that you can ride to take pictures in as well.

Wanted to do something different so the Potomac Eagle came up when I Googled "train rides in WV". Sounded awesome from the first time I got on the website, and it definitely was. We did the Sunset Trough Canyon with the Superior Dining (4 course meal), and honestly picked this over the Club Service because the food sounded better. We took the scenic route from Morgantown to enjoy the drive and see if any fall colors were coming out, and arrived probably 45 minutes early. Everything was well organized for check-in and boarding and we departed promptly at 5 PM. The route takes you along the South branch of the Potomac River for an out and back trip. The area is known for eagle activity and nesting, and has spotters to inform people where the nests are and if there are eagles seen perched or flying. We were extremely lucky as we had major eagle sightings the entire trip, and I believe the official count at the end was two dozen (24). It's always a thrill to see one in the wild and this trip made it easy. They also point out different historical events and items that happened in the area, with much of that still in existence today. Service from all personnel on the trip was amazing, very courteous, knowledgeable and professional. Our attendant Kaleb and his fellow attendant (didn't catch her name) both did an awesome job of telling us what to expect, rules and guidelines for the trip, and actually serving our dinners. I won't go into detail what our meals were (photos will be posted) but the beef tenderloin and porkchop were AMAZING, as well as everything else. Beer and wine are served (pay at the end) in this level and the Club, and we had a couple each. If you go, use the option to see the trough on the gondola car as it's open and you get much better views than looking out the windows. They announce when it's time for your car, if you decide to do it. Would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting the experience. 5 🌟. Definitely would

We went to this scenic railroad on Saturday in first week of October. The station is more like make shift train itself with compartments converted into make shift rooms which was interesting to see. There are plenty of staff to help the guests and check what’s needed. The good: The trip is a 3 hour long journey, there is an observation compartment where you can sit for around 45 mins. There are food and drink options which you can buy in board but they are cash only. The route is scenic along the side of Potomac river where we watched lots of birds. Needs Improvement: The music was simply too loud and were barely were able to hear ourselves. We did request the staff and they did tone down the music but it feels like we should not have needed to ask in the first place. The route is scenic along the left side when we start where there is river and there simply nothing much on the right side. So if you go on a peak season and get seats on right side you will have to hop on left side to see the scenery. There is however a compartment with large windows where you can stand. The company could convert that into an observation covered desk as well. Overall it was a decent experience, 3 hours did feel a bit too long but nevertheless it was nice!

We had a wonderful time on our all day train ride to Petersburg. We decided to go with the Club Service and did not regret it. The seats were so comfortable and we appreciated the climate controlled car on the hot day. The dining experience was tremendous with excellent dishes and the very attentive attendant in our car. Tara made sure our glasses were always full and served our food in a very professional manner. We saw bald eagles on the trip on both passes through the "Trough." The staff did a stupendous job of sighting and pointing out the eagles. I highly recommend this trip

We rode the trough ride in the club car. All the appetizers were tasty. The service was spot on. The gondola was definitely worth doing! We saw lots of eagles and the landscape is stunning.

Loved our trip on the Potomac Eagle in early October 2025. We sat in the Premium Dining car. Excellent food and service! We took advantage of sitting in the open-air "gondola" car for one of the 45-minute sessions. It was a great experience.

What a wonderful experience! We took the train into The Trough and chose the Superior dining option. The service was top-notch and the food was fabulous. The decor felt like traveling back in time. Then there was the magic of the scenery, especially the bald eagles. There were 15 sightings on our trip. My husband and I are already planning to do it again this Winter. Highly recommend.

My partner and I had a thoroughly enjoyable and tasty trip yesterday on the 3-hour tour. And this was despite the rain and inability to access the gondola car (due to the rain) and observation car (undergoing maintenance). We opted for the Superior ticket, which is a car limited to customers 17 and older and includes a 4 course meal. The car was not crowded (I think there were a total of 5 parties (all couples) , each sitting at tables for 4, facing the river side of the train. We were served by David, who did an excellent job with the service, by telling us some fun and interesting stories and just by coming across like a nice guy who is very easy to talk with. One couple was celebrating a birthday and another couple got engaged (!) during the 3-hour tour. During the train ride, a woman at the front of the train described what we would be seeing and also pointed out a number of eagles nests on the other side of the river. The information she provided was interesting and informative. As far as eagles are concerned, for our trip, we didn't see any eagles flying around. If you looked closely across the river, you might see (or think you saw (!)) the white head of an eagle or an eagles nest. I think my expectations of what the eagle sighting would be and the reality were two different things. There were a couple of train delays on route due to debris on the tracks, where workers had to disembark and shove stones and branches off of the tracks. We also had a delay due to a crossing cow. But, even with the delays (inherent in this mode of transport), the trip was relaxing and enjoyable. That being said, it was a very pleasant experience, in part due to David's attentiveness and demeanor and the other just the relaxation of moving between mountains and near a river on a slow moving train. Oh, and the food. Oh my goodness. What a meal! We started with a bread basket, which included a corn muffin and a Southern-style biscuit. Both were very good, served with butter, jam and honey. Then an appetizer. I got the beef Wellington and my partner got the shrimp cocktail. Both were delicious. The beef Wellington was a nicely cooked beef inside a puffy pastry. There were two in the serving and they were filling. The shrimp cocktail included 5 nice-size shrimp with a tasty sauce. Then, we each had a small wedge salad. I say small, but after the bread and the appetizer, it was plenty. It was really well constructed, with bits of onion, tomato and blue cheese. The blue cheese dressing (on the side) was excellent. (Other dressing choice was ranch.) Then the main. I got the sea bass ($8 extra) and my partner got the pork chop. Each was outstanding. The portion size of the main dishes was impressive, the texture and flavor of the sea bass was outstanding and the pork was well prepared (not at all tough or dried out). Each main course came with an extremely well prepared baked/boiled potato. The potato was very tender and delicious. They also came with a side of string beans. Honestly, we told the chef afterward that the meal was fantastic. One person at a nearby table said it was one of the best restaurant meals they had ever had. Oh, for dessert we opted for the chocolate torte with a raspberry drizzle. It was great. I recommend this. For those not springing for the superior meal, there are other meal options , including a box meal and a snack bar with snacks, hot dogs and pulled pork sandwiches. If our meal was any indication of care and quality, I would suggest trying these other options too. There is a Christmas North Pole excursion for those with kids and I'm interested in maybe coming back in the fall where I understand you can get a great look at the changing foliage if you come at the right time. One strong recommendation: if you are planning to go during a busy time, do try to reserve a seat on the river side of the train. That is where the outside action is.

Fun, scenic, historic way to experience Romney, WV. Celebrated my husband's birthday with a tasty lunch, many eagle sightings, and the joy of old-school train travel. Very enjoyable excursion. Thank you!

The 3hr train ride was great. The whole atmosphere was amazing. BJ kept the whole ride up beat and exciting. We had 15 eagle sightings. Great time worth every penny for the whole family.

First thing - staff on the train was FANTASTIC. 5 Staff at the depot lining us up looked worn out and sad to be there. 1 star They were the same people! Speaker giving directions for embarking the train was not loud enough. Couldn't hear at all what they said. Scenery - we saw so much beautiful countryside and spotted 3 bald eagles, not to mention many blue heron, people fishing and kayaking, and just overall river and mountain scenery. Food - 3 We were in the club dining car - top tier. Breakfast was excellent, lunch was TERRIBLE, dinner was ok. Unmemorable. Train - 3 Our car lost a/c during the trip. Where going to move us to a "lower level" (price-wise car) which was cool. Very disappointing. They got it fixed, but then another car had the same thing happen and they DID have to move. Throughout the trip, a woman would come over the speaker and give historical information, or do such things as point out eagles outside. She was barely audible, sometimes unable to be understood at all. Very disappointing to miss that part of the experience. Gondola 4 Being outside for the ride through the trough to watch the eagles was fantastic. A staff member was outside with us making announcements about eagle nests or eagles spotted, but we was literally yelling over the train sound and it was hard to hear much of what he said. The hostess/manager/overall person who kept things running was wonderful. I didn't catch her name, but she was there to make sure things were going well for everyone. She was polite, kind and professional. The conductor was sweet, with a great sense of humor.

Great adventure! Wonderful service, friendly staff! Could not recommend these excursions more!!

Really great tie, we paid for the Premium dining experience, Tier 2 I believe, which got us into an railcar with AC, it was very hot that day so I felt for the people who were not in AC, my advice is to pay a little more for the best experience, saw a LOT of bald eagles, overall, great day.

We went for the second time last Fri and have decided we will never ride the Western MD Scenic Railroad ever again. Potomac Eagle is the best bang for your buck (we have only gotten premium tickets)! Our meal (chicken fettuccine Alfredo), was excellent. Our car's waiter (wish I remembered his name, but he was 24 and had a ponytail), was amazing . He was very friendly, professional and obviously loves his job. Because we had seats on the opposite side of the train, he made arrangements for those of us on that side to sit in the next car ahead, so that we could see out the window. That was fantastic! The gentleman on the gondola was so personable, warm and friendly! He made sure we saw the nests and the eagles. We actually had a close encounter with one as it flew right in front of us! I can't imagine riding in the cars without air conditioning. People had their bare feet on the seat in front of them and all the windows were open, on the hottest day of the year, so far! I wish we had a choice of dessert because I don't like soggy cake. Tres leches cake is too soggy. I also wish there was a way to stop in a small town or even in nature so that we can get off the train. We will be booking another trip soon!

This was our second time taking this train. We liked the first time so much this time we took the 9 hour round trip. The service and all the staff are fabulous. They are so friendly. This was our 40th wedding anniversary so I booked club service. We got 3 meals and received so much good food we were in no way hungry. I would highly recommend this for train lovers.

The afternoon trough ride was amazing! Service was wonderful, view was amazing and we saw 14 eagles. You even get a history lesson while you relax and ride.

Such a beautiful ride. My spouse snd I thoroughly enjoyed our lovely trip through the trough.

Rode the Trough Tour this afternoon, had an incredible experience. The weather wasn't the best, but the trip was very informative and an enjoyable. Brenda was our hostess and she was amazing. Recommend this for everyone.

This was a very peaceful excursion. All of the attendants were really super. the food was superb. The three-hour layover in Petersburg was too long for the people that didn't take the cave tour. The person narrating our trip was very informative. Thank you, Ms. Jean, After 30 years of narrating this trip, you are spot on. Pointing out the several Eagles nests and the Eagles flying above was exciting. We are seriously considering bringing our grandchildren on the Christmas ride.

We rode the club car on a journey through "The Trough." The food was very good and the service was friendly and prompt. The WV scenery was spectacular and much of it could only possibly be seen from this train. We saw several eagles on the trip and experienced an amazing trip back in time. Who doesn't miss trains?!

What a beautiful day for a train ride. There are a few problems with this experience. We booked premium for a total of 292.00. Unfortunately, we ordered the halibut. Inedible. i think this is institutional food? I sympathize with the difficulty of delivering hot food from a narrow kitchen on a train. They need to do some work on this. Pretty challenging. We were warned in advance to make our way to the "gondola" soon after lunch was served or we would not be able to travel in the trough on this car. The gondola is shabby open air with water sloshing underfoot in our case but the train ride would have been even less worth the money if that didn't happen as it was nice to be out (pick a nice day to go). The bathrooms near the gondola area were third world, dirty, disgusting-what the heck? If you do go on this train ride, be sure to use the bathrooms as far away from the gondola car as possible. Giving it two stars because we enjoyed the trough experience, otherwise cannot recommend it.

My husband and I had a wonderful time on our honeymoon. We took the 3 hour trough trip and rode in Club Service. We had a great 5 course meal while on board and loved the historic atmosphere created by the train cars. We were surprised and excited to learn that we were able to walk the length of the train, even while in motion in order to reach the covered observation car. Once we reached the trough, the train came to a complete stop and allowed passengers to move to their open air observation car to have the best chance for viewing eagles. We availed ourselves of this opportunity and certainly did not regret it! We will almost certainly be back and with friends!

We took the 3-hour scenic train ride on labor day in the coach section. I docked off the stars for lack of cleanliness, pricey food, not-so-scenic view as advertised. It was nice experience riding a train such as that, but we will never repeat it again. First off, the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting and looked like it hasn't been cleaned in months. We used the bathroom before the train even left the station. The concession food was pricey - $6 for popcorn, $3 for a can of soda. Thankfully, you're allowed to bring your own food and drinks on the train which is what we did. We could barely hear the woman doing the live narration. We saw maybe two eagles, and the trough was just ok. We did see some ducks, and a deer and a fawn skipping through a field which was a nice treat for my toddler. Then again, you can see them almost anywhere in Virginia, especially near a wooded area. The whole train ride wasn't as scenic as we expected since about 80% or 85% of the "scenic view" was covered by trees. There was no "wow factor", at least for us. The 3 hours dragged and we were so ready to get off.

We had a great time on the Potomac Eagle. We purchased standard dining tickets, but spent most of the trip in the observation car. We saw over 25 eagles along the trough portion of the trip! Staff was friendly and helpful. There was some sort of kitchen mixup, so our food took a very long time and was hastily put together, hence the 4 star rather than 5. We were supposed to get fruit and a cookie or brownie and received no fruit, but one cookie and 4 muffins. It was odd, but fine. Next time we'd skip the food and just do the ride! Highly recommended for a fall afternoon.

I purchased the Special Father's Day trip for my husband and myself, (father's ride free with a paying adult), which was a great deal. we had the Trough ride and the Premium service. Everything was great from the ride there , parking, boarding and the meal was very good with great service. My husband had the T-bone steak cooked to perfection for him (for a small upcharge) and I had the Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken. Dessert was Tres Leches cake, which was the best. Eagle nests were pointed out, and one eagle, but eagles were not very active on this day. History of the area was given as we rode along. Also, we were given a chance to ride the gondola car and get even better pictures along the way. Many kayakers were enjoying the day on the river as well. We are looking forward to enjoying the fall leaves on a trip later. We would recommend this trip

We had a wonderful train ride experience with our grandkids. The staff was wonderful!! One thing I was disappointed about, was that they offered a 30% discount AFTER we booked and paid, and because we had booked early, they would not let us cancel and rebook using the discount. We were penalized for booking early. Hopefully, they change this policy in the future.

We took the 3 hour dinner cruise on the night they introduced wine/beer service. The staff, train, dinner, and trip overall could not have been better. 38 eagles were spotted during the trip, and the ride through the Trough was an added bonus (we didn't read up on the trip in advance, so it was a surprise). This is a great trip!

Took the Potomac Eagle on 10 Oct 2024. What a pleasant experience. The leaves were just starting to change, looks like they need another 2 weeks to peak. We saw multiple hawks and waterfowl, but the highlight was seeing 19 Bald Eagles! Most were sitting in trees within 50 feet of the train - unbelievable. Such majestic birds. All the personnel were professional, knowledgeable (especially the Eagle Spotter in the open (Gondola) car, and friendly. Spent the entire 3 hours in the observation car or open car. Wildlife and scenery was awesome. I've never fly fished but going along that river with its crystal clear water made me want to try it out. Only negative was the weak speakers in the observation car and open car. They definitely need better / louder speakers. The woman providing the narration was so nice and knowledgeable but someone with a deeper voice would have been better. Worth the money, has my recommendation.

A wonderful adventure for my husband's birthday. Very organized and and staff very attentive. Can't wait to try sunset train ride. Janet R.

This was absolutely amazing, the food was great , service excellent. The only thing was the narrorator was to quiet, we couldn't understand much of it. The scenery outstanding!

Was truly a fun day. Perfect weather and foliage was gorgeous. All the were great and helped with any questions. we took the 9 hour RT which was a bit long, especially the layover in Petersburg which is a boring town. The af return through the trough was great! Lots of eagl ! I would recommend a shorter trip just in the afternoon through the trough. Hot food service was served too quickly on our return trip as we just had lunch in Petersburg.

Wow!!! What a perfect day (10/24/24). It started with a 2 1/2 hour drive down from Pittsburgh, but the foliage was so spectacular that it went by in a flash. The train ride itself was beyond our expectations. From the comfort of our club car to the amazing views from the open railcar, had us truly enjoying ourselves. Another nice feature was the fact that they had Eagle spotters, who pointed out these majestic birds and also told the very interesting stories of the valley. We saw so many (14) bald eagles, both young and mature, that had us thrilled to be able to witness this. We have decided that this will be an annual event from now on. We are so very glad that we decided to do this!!

Everything went well. The service was exceptional with our meal. We were all pleasantly surprised at the quality of our meal in the club bar. Our three servers, Delaney, Madeline and David did a fantastic job. And the view, the trees were in their full glory. I would highly recommend the "Trough" trip.

Enjoyed the Potomac Eagle ride. The views were spectacular, saw many flying eagles. The leaves were changing so the trough was filled with fall colors.

The ride was amazing! Staff are polite, friendly, informative. The views and scenery do not disappoint. The food was delicious and very filling, with lots of choices. Looking to go back and try their other offerings.

We took my 95 year old father on this adventure. I was over the moon on the care we received. The trip was amazing and the food was awesome. Experiencing this trip with our dad has no measure. Thank you

The people who run this company have no soul. We purchased tickets last year and right before we left to go we ended up in the emergency room with our 2 year old who we later found out had cancer. We called the company and were told by an employee of the company that we could go next year instead. Well next year is now, and we were just got told that they will not honor their promise from last year. Our 2 year old that is still fighting cancer is now horribly disappointed. This is not in the spirit of what this attraction is all about. These people are just plain greedy, and I beg you to boycott their company. Merry Christmas to all that are reading this and God Bless You!

Outstanding experience and wonderful professionals. Absolutely recommend it and will definitely repeat in different seasons.

Sat in coach...lots of room But no A/c and we could barely hear the tour guide. Audio system was bad. Thought it was a bit boring.

We had a delightful day on this 9 hour journey journey. We signed up for the top meal plan. It was all excellent. The staff was pleasant and willing to please us. We saw a bald eagle and deer on the return trip. The only draw back was the layover in Petersburg. We weren't interested in any of the activities offered but we found other patrons in the same situation who were willing to chat the time away. I recommend this trip.

Absolutely amazing time. Food was great. our steak was perfect. Wait staff was amazing And so accommodating. Views were breathtaking!

My brother and I traveled in April the trip it was a great and the food was trip outstanding take from a Army Chef of 33 years. We had the steak, salad, mashed potatoes, green and dessert. The weather was not really good and river was flooded. Got to plenty of Eagles. So we decided that would come back in the fall. The river was running in banks and very clear. My steak was seemed to be cook differently then the ]one in the spring. The rest of the meal was really great and crew was outstanding as usual. We will be coming and doing the day trip to Petersburg WV. Again thanks to the all that made this happen.

Wonderful day excursion, HOWEVER, if you don't have a "RIVER" side seat on the train you will feel disappointed or even cheated. You can't see anything that the Historian talks about. You do get a close up view of the trees and mountain slope, but none of the expected views of farms, buildings, rivers, eagle nests, etc. If you can't purchase a river side seat, don't bother. Buyer beware. Here's a tip.... Don't use the on-line purchase option for your purchase. You will never know if you are getting a river side view or a non-view. You should call the person at the Railroad to make your reservation. Insist that you get a seat on the river side or else you will also feel disappointed in your overall trip experience. Just the facts - we had a nice time, but no view! They told us we could get up and walk around the train, but who wants to leave your table with your prepared meal behind while you cruise around the moving train?

Trough Trip is as advertised. A variety of viewing options besides your assigned seat. We chose the gondola car when our cars were allowed. Open air..great viewing and pics. Our 4 course meal which started with a charcuterie platter(not one of the courses) had just the right sized portions, so you were not dreading the next course. All the train staff are very friendly and welcoming. Our car's wait staff gave us excellent, attentive service.

we went on the train with friends while visiting some family in West Virginia and it was a comfortable, smooth ride along a river , we had dinner and that was also very good. We saw eagles and a lot of deer, if you want the best chance to see the eagles you should go up to the open car with no roof and 4 ft walls, there you can see all around you and there's a person who stays at that car and he knows where all the eagles hang out so while it's not guaranteed seeing any wildlife you will still have a very relaxing ride , the train probably goes 20 or 30 miles per hour at times but mostly just goes pretty easy, the train goes by a few houses that are along the tracks and makes you wonder how in the world they get there! you also go past some farms along the river and cows in the fields . after being in town for a week I was not ready to come back home,

From the very start of looking online at this operation through purchasing tickets, arriving for our train and enjoying the ride the company, the service, people on board, sites, sounds, views; really everything was absolutely top-notch and the best investment of our time and money. Once my wife and I arrived on site, there was plenty of parking and loads of excitement as we visited the gift shop talked with many people that were there on the track and lined up to be boarded onto the Potomac Eagle. Everything was set and ready for us when we boarded our train, and we were taken right to our table, which was nicely decorated along with happy birthday and happy anniversary written across our place-card. A special feature that we didn't even know about nor did we read about was the running history of the areas that we were traveling through as the train trip began in Romney going through Moorefield and ending up in Petersburg, then back again for a complete 9 hour tour. It was nice to hear as well as see the historical aspects of the area, which really made the train trip even that much more incredible. Our Premium meal service was the perfect selection of elegance and service paired with fantastic food. The chef and his staff of many outdid themselves in friendly customer service, delivering freshly prepared dishes in a timely manner during our trip. We started off with a fruit parfait top with granola, fresh fruit, and Chris bacon served up with a delicious sliced of sweet bread. Then later moved onto a wonderfully presented charcuterie board with cheeses, crackers and pepperoni. Everything was served in a timely fashion with a smile and our beverages were continually refilled throughout the entire trip along with getting fresh coffee whenever I asked for it. The views outside our window were incredible and breathtaking. Before we arrived in Petersburg, we were given the opportunity to go to the observation car, which is an open car, allowing us to see the surrounding sites as we travel through the trough, looking for bald eagles. It is at this time I'd like to commend and thank staff member B.J. for his Eagle eye, (no pun intended ) and witticism, along with his knowledge of the rails, the train, and the Eagles and their nesting habitats. Had it not been for him I don't think we probably would not have seen as many Eagles as he spotted them for us along with everybody else that was working on the train and pointed them out to us so that everybody could see them and witness them. We came away with some fantastic pictures and memories as we were allowed to stay in the car for 45 minutes at which time we moved back to our dining car and enjoyed the train ride into Petersburg which took a little over three hours. Once at Petersburg we enjoyed a nice walk through town, stopping at several antique stores as well as side street cafe built by a local doctor. The layover was enjoyable and filled with shopping opportunities, of which my wife and i found to our liking. I picked up some antique tins and she picked up some puzzles, all at a great price! In no short time we were headed back to the train to get ready to board for the return trip. Once aboard we were off and our meal dinner meal service began. We started with a tossed salad with blue cheese and onto our preselected dinner of either grilled steak or grilled pork medallions served with mashed potatoes and green beans. We decided to split the steak and pork between us so that we could have a little bit of each And suffice to say everything was really well prepared. The only issue we had was the pork was a little overdone, but it in no way took away from the incredible experience we were having. The meal was then finished off with a scrumptious almond rum layer cake and a cup of fresh coffee. After the meal service was cleaned up we pulled out the cribbage board, a gift from my wife and played anther game on the way back. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, interacting with other guests and the staff that stopped by our table. The trip from beginning to end was filled with fun, laughter, love and fantastic customer service provided by everyone employees by Potomac Eagle. It truly is remarkable and enjoyable to travel by rail, and we look forward to more opportunities to join the staff and crew of the Potomac Eagle on future trips. Thank you so much for giving us a wonderful Anniversary and Birthday train trip.

Great fun great trip good eagle suttings saw deer and regrets and people fishing on the river

A very beautiful and relaxing train ride in the mountains of WV. The dinner was nice, the staff was super friendly. We got stuck in some heavy traffic leaving Martinsburg, and they were nice enough to hold for us for about 3 mins. However, Good Morning Washingon was on board and I was not a fan of being filmed. I was told there was nothing they could do about it, that part I didnt like.

Don't recommend the North Pole Express for sensitive/on the spectrum kids. I asked in advance via email if we would be able to request to the staff in our car, that Santa not stop at our table as our daughter has extreme anxiety and was incredibly stressed over having an interaction with Santa. We were told "While we cannot guarantee that Santa's presence won't affect your daughter, you are welcome to discreetly inform your car host once you board. They can assist in ensuring that Santa doesn't stop near your table." I explained that as long as there wasn't an interaction that would be fine! We arrived and were seated and I discreetly made my request and they were lovely! All the characters interacted with the other children and simply skipped our table. it was perfect! Then Santa arrived....He not only stopped at our table but when I tried to sweetly tell him we were good and he could move on, he flat out told me "no", and continued to ask me questions while eyeing my child. I felt powerless to do anything as I didn't want to ruin the magic for the other children. He stayed longer at our table than at any other table in our train car, all of which had much younger children that were desperate for his attention. I emailed them back today praising the staff and how wonderful they were and also said " maybe the person who plays santa can be taught that trauma and mental health issues are very real and we parents are trying to allow our children to still experience childhood for as long as possible while still navigating their issues." I was met with an aggressive response saying "there was no guarantee that your child would not have a view of or interaction with Santa." Asking someone to simply pass us by is not asking too much, if anything, it's making their job easier. Incredibly disappointed in them, and their Santa needs an attitude adjustment.

We had beautiful weather and the train was comfortable. We were in the first car serving small plates. I liked that it was adults only. The food was just okay. They mixed up our orders on multiple courses. Although the river is lovely, there isn't much to see. We were able to see a few eagles and a heron. I would not recommend this excursion. The Western MD Scenic Railroad is so much more interesting, even without the narration.

Nice views, great staff. Saw a bunch of eagles and nests. Called in the morning to make reservations and they were able to accommodate us for lunch.

Great trip. Friendly staff. Loved the gondola car. Many sightings of eagles plus a lot of history.

Staff was very personable and friendly, train ride was beautiful! Recommend! I'd definitely do it again!

The day trip was amazing- just a really gorgeous day for the ride to Petersburg & back. The meals felt rushed, and very unpolished in their delivery. (Always serve the lady first). (Skip the fish option it was quite overdone (salsa was unnecessary for that dish). There is not a "chef" onboard -- so keep that in mind if you choose Premium tix w. Meal). Petersburg is small and has a great depot, ice cream shop-- perfect to stop and continue to enjoy the day walking around. The eagles, for us, were a bonus -- but not our sole reason for riding that day. We did see several both to and from -- but with all the trees it was sometimes hard to see them,

Nice way to enjoy a scenic train ride tour for 3 hours- staff are friendly , nice and professional.

The scenery was fantastic as the train moved at a very comfortable speed. We had 20 sitings of eagles of various ages as they flew along the waters edge with the fall colors in the backround. The staff were very knowledgable and friendly.