The ailing economy apparently has taken another tourism industry victim. GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, a luxury train that visits Mount Rainier National Park via Tacoma Rail tracks as part of a Northwest rail tour, is shutting down.
Notices on travel agent Web sites and in online travel bulletins said the Colorado-based rail operation’s owner, Tom Rader, told employees that the trains would halt their journeys today.
“One of our vice presidents flew in from corporate and gave us the news that they are canceling the future trips,” said Fredrick Sandoval, passenger services officer with GrandLuxe. “They are going to get rid of the train. It is no longer feasible.”
Sandoval spoke from the train itself, which was on a siding in Eatonville late Wednesday afternoon. The 99 passengers on the trip had taken a motor coach to visit Mount Rainier, he said, and had not yet been informed of the company’s closure.
Following a Wednesday night farewell dinner, the train was scheduled to leave Eatonville at 4 a.m. and deliver the passengers to Tacoma by 9 a.m. From the depot at Freighthouse Square, they would be taken either to the Hotel Murano or Sea-Tac Airport.
More than 60 employees were aboard the 17-car train, Sandoval said.
“With less than 24 hours’ notice they will be sent home,” he said. “The sad part is, the train will no longer be running the rails.”
He said the train could eventually be sent to join an upscale tourist train venture in California’s Napa Valley.
In a letter to clients, Rader reportedly told customers: “We are financially unable to continue operations.”
Neither Rader nor headquarters agents for GrandLuxe were available for comment Wednesday.
Tacoma Rail interim Superintendent Alan Hardy said the rail tour operator has told Tacoma Rail it will store its train on Tacoma Rail tracks until it has more definite plans.
Rader said in his letter that he’s unsure what will happen next. “At this time we just do not have many answers to your questions,” he said. “I am personally deeply sorry that we failed to provide your trip.”
Passengers paid between $4,700 and $7,500 for a rail tour of Western parks that included Mount Rainier, Glacier and Yellowstone national parks.
GrandLuxe was formerly known as American Orient Express.
Hardy said Tacoma Rail won’t lose money on the venture because its arrangement is with Amtrak for use of its rails. Amtrak provides engines and engine crews for the trains.
GrandLuxe is the second rail excursion operation using Tacoma Rail’s Mountain Division tracks to run into financial problems.
Last fall, the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train, which had begun operations in Tacoma in midsummer, abruptly halted operations.
Hardy said GrandLuxe was a first-class operation, but apparently it wasn’t attracting enough business.
“I think it was probably another victim of the economy,” he said.
Inside the train in Eatonville, Sandoval said that Wednesday night’s farewell banquet might take on a sad but festive air.
The scheduled menu called for honey-glazed filet mignon and Alaskan lobster, quail and Caprese salad, and Sandoval said he had heard from the pastry chef that there might be additions, given the end of the run.
“And the sous chef said he might do something really special,” he said.
John Gillie: 253-597-8663
C.R. Roberts: 253-597-8535
blogs.thenewstribune.com/business
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.