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El Dorado Western Railroad reports surge in ridership after launch of online ticketing; volunteers sought
Summary
Department leaders told the commission the El Dorado Western Railroad has seen rapid growth after implementing virtual ticketing, reporting a roughly 400% revenue increase and multiple sold‑out runs. Staff asked commissioners to help recruit volunteers for fair week and upcoming special events.
El Dorado Western Railroad staff told the commission on May 1 that ridership and revenue have surged since the department introduced a virtual ticketing platform.
Bryce Veil, library director, and Keith (railroad lead) said the parcel‑tax and library measures remain separate but that the railroad program has benefited from new marketing and ticketing tools. Keith described the virtual ticketing system as a turning point: multiple runs are sold out (including three runs that were fully booked for the next day), the platform provides attendee demographics, and revenues for railroad programming have increased dramatically — staff described the increase as about 400% compared with earlier periods.
Staff described operational changes tied to demand: pre‑ticketing has reduced cash handling at stations, the department is reviewing track standards and training, and volunteers remain critical to expanding service. Upcoming events include the Egg Extravaganza (recently held) and a July 4 Stars & Stripes Express special run; staff said they expect higher visitor numbers at summer events and asked commissioners to volunteer during fair week and assist with promotion.
Commissioners raised safety and logistics issues, including ticketing allocation strategies for larger excursion cars and the need for additional volunteers. The department said it is coordinating track maintenance, interagency communications (PG&E and others), and new warrants/training to support the growing schedule.
