In a recent announcement, Rail Excursion Management Company (Railexco) said, after consulting with officials on the state and local levels, they have decided to postpone the Autumn Colors Express excursion. This event took the place of the New River Train that traveled to Hinton from Huntington and Charleston in October for Railroad Days.
According to the announcement, which was made on the Hinton Railroad Days Facebook Event Page, the cancelation comes after a great deal of concern regarding the surge of COVID-19 cases. Adam Auxier, Railexco CEO said, “An overwhelming number of customers have expressed concern about this year’s event.” Auxier went on to say, “The current surge in COVID-19 cases in West Virginia has local hospitals operating at emergency levels, making postponement our best and only option this year.”
Anyone who already had a ticket for the event will automatically have it transferred to dates in October 2022. Any questions regarding credits or refunds can be directed to info@railexco.com. In a separate announcement, Hinton Railroad Days stated that they will be contacting vendors in regards to refunds within the following week after the announcement.
Jack Scott, mayor of the city of Hinton stated in the announcement, “We are extremely disappointed in the situation we find ourselves in.” Scott did note, however, “The Hinton Railroad Days Committee is evaluating the situation currently to determine if a small event or a two-day event makes sense for our vendors. We have worked diligently since the spring to organize the event and again are disappointed but support our partner’s difficult decision.”
The announcement also states that the Autumn Colors Express’s inaugural trip in 2019 saw more than 3,000 passengers from all around the world travel to the region.
For more information reach out to Railexco at info@railexco.com or Hinton Railroad Days at 304-466-3255
