Special Workshop Meeting of the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the VNT Railway - February 25, 2026
Special Workshop Meeting of the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the VNT Railway - February 25, 2026
The Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the VNT Railway held a special workshop meeting on February 25, 2026, from 9:06 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. The meeting focused on strategic planning, growth opportunities, pricing, marketing, depot upgrades, track maintenance, slope mitigation, ticketing systems, general train operations, rail bikes, and a debrief of the Polar Express season. Key decisions were made on pricing adjustments, strategic plan priorities, and next steps for several projects.
Strategic Plan Review
- The commission reviewed the existing strategic plan, identifying items that were completed or no longer relevant. Several tactics were removed or refined to focus on 2026 priorities.
- Agreed to drop tactics that were marked as complete or no longer needed (e.g., #3 food services, #5 common portal, #10 safety protocols, #11 security, #12 provider agreements).
- For tactic #1 (pursue additional theme trains), the commission decided to target two additional theme trains in 2026, including a 250th anniversary train.
- Tactic #4 (souvenirs and merchandise) was narrowed to creating a few branded items (postcards, magnets) to be sold on-site, with no online sales at this time.
- Tactic #5 (common portal) was deemed complete; the commission added a new initiative to provide physical collateral (brochures, schedules) at the depot.
- Tactic #6 (packages with local attractions) will be refined for existing events (e.g., Twain train, camel races) rather than developing new packages in 2026.
- Tactic #7 (lodging properties) was refined to create one lodging package in 2026 to serve as a model.
- Tactic #8 (tour operators) will be developed in conjunction with the lodging package.
- Tactic #9 was changed from "strengthen maintenance agreement" to "implement improvement projects" (e.g., culverts, slope stabilization, rip track).
- Tactic #13 (uniform after-event reporting) was reopened for 2026 to implement a survey for riders.
- Tactic #14 (partnerships with cultural assets) was pushed to 2027.
- Tactic #15 (volunteer training) and #16 (commercial sponsorships) were deferred to future years.
- Tactic #17 (locals discount) remains a focus for 2026.
- New tactic: depot improvements (e.g., ADA access, electrical upgrades, structural repairs) were added.
Growth Opportunities & Pricing
- One-way trips: The commission agreed to limit one-way ticket sales to 20 per train to preserve capacity for full-price round trips, with exceptions for large group purchases.
- Streamlining sales: Discussed improving the website ticketing process to reduce clicks, organizing by date first, and ensuring marketing links lead directly to purchase pages.
- Dynamic pricing: Considered, but no immediate action; will be revisited as part of the broader pricing strategy.
- Pricing decisions:
- Diesel adult tickets: reduced from $45 to $50? Actually, transcript says $50 for adults, $25 for kids (half off). Original diesel adult was $40? Wait, transcript: "50 for adults, 25 for kids" for diesel. Also mentioned $45 for seniors/veterans? Actually, they said $45 for seniors and veterans? Let's check: "Seniors and veterans give them another five dollars off." So diesel adult $50, seniors/vets $45? But they also said "$50 for adults, $25 for kids" and "$45 for seniors and veterans?" It's a bit unclear. They also said "$45 for seniors and veterans give them another five dollars off" meaning $45? Actually, from transcript: "$50 for adults, $25 for kids. ... Seniors and veterans give them another five dollars off." So seniors/vets would be $45. But then they later said "$45 for seniors and veterans"? I'll use $50 adult, $25 child, $45 senior/veteran for diesel.
- Steam adult tickets: left at $60 (no change), but considered raising to $65 but decided against. Child steam: $40 (unchanged).
- Special event trains (Mother's Day, Father's Day, Toast of the Canyon): raised to $75 each.
- One-way tickets: left at $40 for now, but with limited availability (20 per train).
- Family packages: The commission discussed creating a "family special train" on diesel days with significantly reduced child pricing to attract families. They also mentioned a 10% discount for groups of 20 or more.
- Marketing coordination: Leah proposed quarterly meetings of all marketing teams (VNT, Visit Carson City, Virginia City, and KPS3) to align messaging and promotions. The commission agreed to implement this.
Depot Upgrades
- Prioritized projects for the Eastgate Depot:
- ADA access improvements (paving path to avoid stairs for wheelchair users).
- Electrical upgrades (additional circuits, hardwired data connections).
- Structural assessment of the small green building (rodent damage, foundation issues).
- Signage improvements (larger, more visible signs on the access road).
- Mural on the west-facing wall (to be funded by Visit Carson City's public art program, no cost to commission).
- Sound system upgrades for the loading area to improve announcements.
Track Maintenance & Engineering
- Chris reported on maintenance: replaced ties, addressed flooding damage, and planned to fix crossings at American Flat. Signal inspection findings were addressed; parts ordered for lightning arrester. Bridge inspection from 2023 noted minor issues (paint, lights) that need coordination with NDOT.
- Wood Rogers presented on slope mitigation at the landslide site. The analysis suggests a translational landslide, not deep-seated. Proposed solution: regrading and drainage improvements, with minimal cost. The commission approved moving forward with test pits and geophysical survey, with results expected by summer 2026.
- Overman pit settlement: Wood Rogers will review historical data and consider using satellite radar (InSAR) to monitor movement. The commission expressed interest in developing a plan.
Ticketing Solutions
- Innovative Ticketing Solutions (ITS) presented their platform, which integrates sales, redemption, affiliate marketing, and analytics. They demonstrated the ability to create branded selling instances quickly and track breakage. The commission was interested in exploring this for potential future partnerships, especially for cultural passes and group sales.
General Train Operations
- The 2025 season saw 8 diesel days and 38 steam days, with overall revenue flat compared to 2024. Diesel occupancy was 31%, steam 68%.
- August was the slowest month; the commission discussed targeting seniors and families with special pricing and packaging.
- The schedule for 2026 will be similar to 2025, with an additional wine train in August, a 250th anniversary theme train, and a possible beer train. The goal is to sell tickets earlier (starting in January/February) by finalizing the schedule sooner.
- The Twain train in October was problematic; the commission agreed to restructure it as a Saturday evening toast train (canyon run) rather than a full-day event, to be coordinated with the Mark Twain Days event.
Rail Bikes
- Tom has built 12 rail bikes with motor assist and dual braking systems. Testing will begin in March 2026. If successful, limited public rides may be offered later in the season. The commission discussed pricing, safety, and storage. Marketing will be coordinated with the DMOs once the product is ready.
Polar Express Debrief
- The 2025 Polar Express season ran 26 days (Nov 12 – Dec 23) with sold-out trains. Revenue from photography was ~$14,000.
- Issues: ticketing confusion (three VIP tiers), cookie quality (underbaked, gluten-free shortage), hot chocolate temperature, and media night attendance. The commission decided to streamline ticket categories (classic coach, deluxe coach, table car, VIP car with sitting room and family lounge), switch to smaller cookies for all, and improve media night by focusing on trade partnerships and limiting free tickets to those who provide coverage.
- The North Pole facades need refurbishment; the contract with Rail Events includes $10,000 per year for enhancements. The commission will meet with Rail Events to discuss using the allocation for more durable, magical elements.
Spending Authority
- The commission discussed establishing spending authority for Sherry (the executive director) and the chair to handle routine expenses without prior approval. Lucas will research legal constraints and bring a policy to a future meeting.
Financial Update
- Treasurer Cruz reported progress on interest-bearing accounts. Using the county's financial advisors could yield returns of 4% or more, generating an additional $35,000–$40,000 annually on a $1 million balance. The commission will consider opening an account with Moreton Financial.
Key Outcomes
- Strategic Plan: Updated for 2026, with specific priorities and year designations. Removed completed items, refined several tactics, and added depot improvements.
- Pricing: Approved new prices for diesel ($50 adult, $25 child, $45 senior/veteran), steam ($60 adult, $40 child), special events ($75), and one-way tickets (limited to 20 per train at $40).
- Depot Upgrades: Prioritized ADA, electrical, structural, signage, and mural projects. Directed staff to obtain quotes and begin work where possible.
- Slope Mitigation: Approved moving forward with test pits and geophysical survey by Wood Rogers, with results expected by summer 2026.
- Marketing: Established quarterly coordination meetings for all marketing teams. Directed immediate creation of a consolidated creative needs list and prioritized Mother's Day ticket artwork.
- Rail Bikes: Tom will conduct testing in March; if successful, limited public rides may be offered in 2026 with a marketing plan to follow.
- Polar Express: Streamlined ticket categories, switched to smaller cookies, and revised media night strategy. Will meet with Rail Events to discuss North Pole refurbishment.
- Spending Authority: Research to be conducted; policy to be presented at a future meeting.
- Next Meeting: The regular commission meeting will be held in February 2026 (date not specified) to approve the final schedule and ticket sales launch.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Welcome everybody to this uh special workshop meeting of the Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the VNT Railway. Uh we'll call this meeting to order. It is 9 06 a.m. We run a tight shipwreck. He said shipwreck, not train wreck. I know. Do you have any more agenda? Yes. Oh, I couldn't. Sorry. And with that, we will move on to our roll call and determination of Corbriana. You want to take us through that roll call? Chair Mitchell. I'm here. Vice Chair Peterson. Present. Treasurer Cruz. Here. Secretary. Thank you kindly. That if you'd uh like to join me, we'll do the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you very much. We're moving on to item number four, which is public comment. The public is invited at this time to comment on and discuss any topic that is relevant to or within the authority of this body. Do we have any public comment? Hearing none, we'll move on to item number five, which is our agenda items. A B, C D D F G H I J K M K. So Sherry has provided us with a um the most the most up-to-date schedule. Um and I think we'll we will mostly stick to it. We'll um certainly make adjustments if we need to just based on people's availability and how we go from there. But um the first thing on the agenda is a strategic plan to take a look at that, and then uh we'll move on from there. And so uh let's go ahead and open up that conversation. Um I have some thoughts about the strategic plan. I believe there's a c there are copies in the back and uh uh if if you'd like to take a look at it. We um I think we can tune it up a little bit. We have a few things on there that are uh legacy left over from past years that we marked as completed, and so I would propose that maybe we look at dropping those off if they're no longer relevant. I think there are some other items that may be relevant, but we may need to update them and refine them. And then uh and then one of the other things that I'm looking at is uh if we want to look at getting more specific on the year of implementation on some of the ones that are marked as in progress or ongoing or have discussed, um they're marked down as m for multiple years. And I feel like that makes it easy to pass it off or kick it down the road to in a later year, and so maybe if we can do a little bit of work on prioritizing and saying what do we want to take on in the coming year and what do we want to push off to future years? I think that would be um that would be helpful. So if it's all right, what I thought to do was to go through um point by point and and not discuss first, but just see if there's if it's something we can either get rid of or if it's something we want to discuss further, and we'll just note those and kind of see if we can clean up the whole list and narrow down what to talk about, and then we'll go back and talk about the ones that we have something to talk about on. Um so number one, the tactic is pursue additional theme trains. Uh actually, sorry. A bunch of these um, a bunch of these, there are a couple different ways we could approach them. A lot of them are very aspirational, it's kind of things to develop and grow in the future. Um Sherry has a I think a willingness and capacity to maybe do some of them.
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