VNT Railway Commission Meeting – January 28, 2026

The Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the VNT Railway held its regular meeting on January 28, 2026, at 9:17 AM, adjourning at 10:56 AM. The commission approved consent items, authorized the sale of two parcels of land to Story County for a total of $57,000, received reports on social media and website performance, and reviewed the 2025 Polar Express season. Chair Mitchell disclosed a conflict of interest on the land sale and abstained from voting.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the November 19, 2025 meeting (motion by Vice Chair Peterson, seconded; unanimous vote).
• Approved payable checks totaling $286,555.35 for October 1–31 and November 1–30, 2025 (motion by Treasurer Cruz, seconded; unanimous vote).
• Approved the adjusted fiscal year 2025-26 budget reports for October and November 2025 (motion by Commissioner Hicks, seconded; unanimous vote).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered at either the opening or closing public comment periods.

Discussion Items

• Sale of Land to Story County: Lara Mather (Story County) presented a contingent offer to purchase two parcels (APN 02-063-22 and 02-063-24) in Gold Hill for $28,500 each ($57,000 total), based on fair market appraisals. The parcels were originally purchased by the commission in 2008-2009 to secure access for railroad construction. Story County intends to develop a park that connects to the VNT Railway depot. Commission members confirmed the sale would not affect future operations or expansion plans. Chair Mitchell disclosed a non‑deminimus pecuniary interest and abstained from voting. The motion to approve passed 3-0-1 (three in favor, zero opposed, one abstention).
• Social Media Activities (2025): Maria presented a report showing strong growth on Instagram (600+ new followers) and Facebook (1 million organic views). Top-performing content included reels showing train experiences and posts about the Polar Express. The commission discussed increasing video content and historical posts to boost engagement.
• Website Rebuild Final Phase: Ryan Sullivan (KPS3) reviewed new website features: a film VNT Railway page, itineraries for train excursions, and group experience pages (corporate events, private charters, school field trips). The website is built on WordPress and allows easy updates. The commission praised the design and noted that grant reimbursement for the completed work could proceed.
• Polar Express 2025 Season: Sherry reported record revenue of $1,111,081 and net profit of $322,000 from 78 performances over 26 nights, serving 16,431 passengers. Expenses rose 11% (to $7,000 increase) due to banners, decorations, and higher cookie costs. Candy Duncan noted challenges with assigned seating, including confusion over deluxe coach seats and lap baby policy violations. Carla Wilson reported that 5-10% of seating issues remained unresolved, but the overall season was successful. Tom Gray highlighted safety concerns in the parking lot and loading areas, and recommended adding electrical circuits, replacing hot water urns, and improving the North Pole lighting. The commission agreed to discuss these issues at the February 6 strategic planning retreat. Carla Wilson requested that the Polar Express be the last agenda item at the retreat due to a funeral conflict.
• Regular Season 2025 Update: Sherry noted that from May to October, 47 trains ran at 62% overall capacity. Steam trains ran at 68% capacity, diesel at 57% lagging. Special events (Mother’s Day, Twain Train, Toast of the Canyon) sold at 100% capacity. August was the slowest month, likely due to back-to-school schedules. The commission discussed strategies to increase diesel occupancy, such as better promotion of the 10% Sunday discount (only 124 out of 2,000 bookings used it).

Key Outcomes

• Approved sale of land to Story County (APN 02-063-22 and 02-063-24) for not to exceed $57,000 (3-0-1 vote).
• Approved consent calendar items (minutes, checks, budget reports) unanimously.
• Directed staff to proceed with grant reimbursement for the website project.
• Scheduled the strategic planning retreat for February 6, 2026, at 9 AM at Adams Hub; the next regular meeting is February 25, 2026.
• Noted that the April 2026 meeting date conflicts with Row Roundup; proposed rescheduling to April 15, to be confirmed offline.
• No action taken on social media, website, or Polar Express reports; items were for discussion only.