GRAND CANYON RAILWAY BEGINS TWICE-DAILY 90-MINUTE ROUND-TRIP TRAIN RIDES FROM GRAND CANYON'S SOUTH RIM THROUGH COCONINO CANYON

For the first time, visitors to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park are able to board a train tour originating inside the park. The Grand Canyon Railway began offering the Coconino Canyon Train today.

The 90-minute roundtrip train ride begins at the Grand Canyon Depot – celebrating its 100th anniversary this year – and travels 24 miles roundtrip on track that runs through a portion of the largest Ponderosa pine forest in the world. After a brief layover at the Imbleau Station, a former railway section house, the train makes the return journey to Grand Canyon National Park. Pre-recorded narration provides travelers with information about the stunning Southwestern geography as well as landmarks commemorating historic events along the way.

Offered daily through Sept. 1, 2008, the Coconino Canyon Train departs from the Grand Canyon Depot at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The trip is priced at $35 for adults and $20 for children two through 12. Children under the age of two ride free. Snacks and beverages, including sodas, beer and wine, are available for purchase.

"This is a perfect opportunity for visitors to the Grand Canyon – especially those with limited time – to experience travel the way Grand Canyon visitors did 100 years ago, but in considerably more comfort," said Gordon Taylor, regional general manager for Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. and the Grand Canyon Railway.

The railway line along which the Coconino Canyon Train travels was built in the late 1800s with the original purpose of transporting ore from nearby mines to Williams, Ariz. where the Grand Canyon Railway is now located. The Santa Fe Railway funded completion of the line to the Grand Canyon, and the first tourist ride was offered in 1901. At $3.95 per person for the trip from Williams to the Grand Canyon, the railway trip was considerably less expensive, faster and more comfortable than the only other mode of transportation – a roundtrip stagecoach ride priced at $15 per person. The Grand Canyon Railway carried travelers to the park until 1968, when the popularity of travel by car led to dramatically reduced ridership that forced the train to discontinue operations. The train began once again providing rides to the Grand Canyon in 1989.

"Entire generations have not had a chance to experience the thrill and romance of train travel, and we think this short ride is going to be a perfect introduction for those travelers," said Taylor. "And for those of us who already know what it is like to relax comfortably in a historic car while passing through a rugged Southwestern landscape, this ride will simply be a memorable and very special treat."

Reservations for the Coconino Train trip can be made by calling (1) 888-297-2757 or (1) 303-297-2757 from outside the United States, or in the park by stopping at any transportation desk – located in Maswik, Yavapai and Bright Angel lodges – or the Grand Canyon Depot. Reservations for lodge rooms at the South Rim can be made can made by calling the reservations numbers above as well as by visiting www.grandcanyonlodges.com More information about Grand Canyon National Park can be obtained at www.nps.gov/grca or (1) 928-638-7888.

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Xanterra Parks & Resorts® (consisting of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. and Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.) operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts is the country's largest park concessioner. Xanterra operates concessions in the following locations: Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Rocky Mountain and Petrified Forest National Parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.; and eight Ohio State Parks. Its affiliate Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. operates concessions at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Xanterra also operates the Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Ariz.

Long committed to the preservation and protection of the environment, Ecologix, Xanterra Parks & Resorts' environmental program, includes a variety of proactive environmental stewardship programs in each location. Xanterra has been repeatedly recognized for its environmental leadership in the hospitality industry and is the recipient of many honors, including major awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Travel Industry Association, Colorado Department of Public Health, State of Arizona, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Utah Department of Environmental Quality.

For more information about Xanterra, links to individual properties and reservations numbers, visit www.xanterracom

June 11, 2008   Posted in: United States West