Grand Canyon Railway

The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway began surveying a Grand Canyon spur line in the late 1890s, motivated primarily by partnership pressure from the Fred Harvey Company. Harvey, the British-born hospitality entrepreneur who effectively invented modern American railroad tourism, had recognized by the 1890s that the Grand Canyon was likely to become one of the most significant tourist destinations in the American West — but that the canyon's isolated location, more than 60 miles from the nearest major settlement, made rail access essentially mandatory for any tourism scale beyond hardy adventurers.

Construction of the 65-mile spur line from Williams to Grand Canyon Village began in 1899 and was completed in September 1901. The original construction was relatively straightforward by railroad standards — the route crosses high-desert grasslands and ponderosa pine forest at moderate elevations without significant terrain obstacles — but the remote location and the absence of existing infrastructure made the project logistically challenging. The first scheduled passenger service began on September 17, 1901, with a one-way fare of $3.95 from Williams.

The Fred Harvey Company opened the El Tovar Hotel at the South Rim in 1905, completing the Santa Fe-Harvey partnership's Grand Canyon tourism infrastructure. For the next several decades, the train-to-El Tovar combination was effectively the only practical way for mass tourism to reach the Grand Canyon. The line typically carried tens of thousands of passengers per year through the 1920s and 1930s, peaking around the time of the canyon's designation as a national park in 1919.

Passenger numbers on the Grand Canyon Railway declined steadily through the mid-20th century as automobile tourism became the dominant form of American travel. The completion of paved roads to the South Rim during the 1930s and 1940s, the post-World War II expansion of American car ownership, and the eventual construction of Interstate 40 (which parallels the original Route 66 alignment through Williams) all reduced the relative attractiveness of train travel. Annual passenger counts on the railway dropped from a 1920s peak of roughly 70,000 to fewer than 1,000 by the late 1960s.

The Santa Fe Railway closed the Grand Canyon spur line on July 30, 1968. The last revenue passenger train ran on that date, and the line was officially decommissioned shortly thereafter. The track itself remained in place but unused for two decades — a typical fate for unprofitable American passenger rail lines of the era — and the various stations along the route fell into disrepair through the 1970s and early 1980s.

Max and Thelma Biegert, a Phoenix-area entrepreneurial couple with a background in agricultural business, purchased the dormant line in 1988 and began an aggressive 18-month restoration project. They rebuilt the track, restored several vintage steam and diesel locomotives, refurbished historic passenger cars sourced from various American railroads, and reopened the railway as a heritage tourism operation on September 17, 1989 — exactly 88 years after the original 1901 opening. The Biegerts operated the railway through the early 2000s before selling the operation to Xanterra Travel Collection, which has continued to run the line as part of its broader Grand Canyon concessions portfolio.

The daily train departs Williams at 9:30am from the historic Williams Depot at 233 North Grand Canyon Boulevard. The 65-mile journey to Grand Canyon Village takes roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes each way, with the train traveling at moderate speeds (typically 35-45 mph) that allow passengers to enjoy the scenery without feeling rushed. The return trip departs Grand Canyon Village at 3:30pm and arrives back at Williams around 5:45pm.

The route is genuinely scenic. The train climbs gradually from Williams (elevation roughly 6,765 feet) through high-desert grasslands dotted with cattle ranches and pronghorn antelope, then enters the ponderosa pine forest of the Kaibab National Forest as it approaches the canyon. The final stretch crosses the broad Coconino Plateau before arriving at the historic Grand Canyon Village depot, which sits just a few hundred feet from the South Rim itself. The depot is part of the Grand Canyon Village historic district and is itself a National Historic Landmark.

Theatrical entertainment is provided on board throughout both legs of the journey. Live musicians (typically western and folk musicians playing acoustic instruments) circulate through the passenger cars during the outbound trip. A staged mock train robbery — costumed performers as Old West outlaws who board the train near the end of the return journey — is the railway's signature on-board entertainment and is genuinely fun for families with children. The performers are professional theatrical staff and the production is well-rehearsed despite the deliberately campy concept.

The Grand Canyon Railway offers four main class options spanning a wide range of price and amenity levels. Coach Class ($67 adults, $40 children) is the basic option — comfortable upholstered seating in vintage passenger cars, simple refreshments available for purchase, and the standard on-board theatrical entertainment. Coach is the typical family choice and is genuinely comfortable for the 2 hour 15 minute journey each way.

First Class (roughly $148 adults) provides upgraded seating in cars with more legroom, complimentary continental breakfast on the outbound trip, complimentary snacks and a glass of champagne on the return trip, and dedicated First Class car attendants. The Observation Dome Class (roughly $200-220 adults) provides the same amenities as First Class plus access to a glass-domed upper level of the railcar with unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape. The Observation Dome is the photographer's choice and is the most-recommended upgrade for first-time riders.

The Luxury Parlor Class and the Luxury Pullman Class (roughly $250-280 adults) provide the highest-end experience — restored historic Pullman-style railcars with elevated finishes, rear-of-train open-air platforms during the journey, dedicated attendants, premium beverages including champagne and wine, and small-group seating that is typically restricted to adults. The Luxury classes book out earliest and require advance reservations.

Booking is essential — the railway sells out routinely during peak summer months (June through August) and on major holiday weekends throughout the year. Reservations can be made online through thetrain.com or by phone (1-800-732-8247). Most travelers book 4-6 weeks in advance for summer dates; 2-3 weeks ahead is generally sufficient for spring and fall dates; winter dates can typically be booked within a week of travel.

Hotel-and-train packages are commonly bundled through the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel (the railway's anchor hotel, located adjacent to the Williams depot and operated by Xanterra). The bundled package typically includes one night at the hotel, the round-trip train fare, and breakfast — a meaningful value compared to booking the components separately. Multi-night packages that include accommodations at Grand Canyon Village lodges (also operated by Xanterra) are available for travelers who want to extend their canyon visit beyond the day-trip format.

Combining the railway with the rest of Williams produces a satisfying two-day itinerary. The standard plan: arrive in Williams the afternoon before the train, walk the Bill Williams Avenue Route 66 strip in late afternoon (vintage neon signs are best around dusk), have dinner at Cruiser's Cafe 66 or another Route 66 restaurant, overnight at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, take the 9:30am train the following morning, spend the day at the South Rim, return to Williams by 5:45pm, and continue your westward Route 66 drive (or eastward back toward Flagstaff, 35 miles away). The Grand Canyon South Rim is 60 miles north of Williams by road if you prefer to drive yourself, but the train experience is its own attraction beyond just transportation.