OREANDA-NEWS. Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE: KSU) announced today that its 13th Annual Holiday Express will distribute a record-high USD 164,290 in gift cards to The Salvation Army at stops along the Holiday Express route. The gift cards are designated for the purchase of warm clothing and other necessities for children in need. This year's fundraising results are up 52 percent over last year and are 22 percent higher than the last record high in 2010.

“The KCS Holiday Express is an important project for our company,” said KCS president and CEO David L. Starling. “It is one of the best ways we can give back and stimulate goodwill with our employees, vendors and the communities we serve. We are delighted to once again bring Santa Claus on the Holiday Express to communities throughout our U.S. network and, in partnership with our generous sponsors we are honored to be making this charitable contribution.”

Special thanks to the major sponsors who helped make this year's charitable contribution possible, including The Kansas City Southern Charitable Fund, Michael and Marlys Haverty Family Foundation, Mrs. John Shedd Reed, Bartlett Grain, Sinclair Occupational & Environmental Legal Consulting and Watco Companies. Additional sponsors are listed on the KCS website.

The six-car train with Santa Claus and his elves will be open to the public in 20 communities in six states on 24 dates. Access to the train is free. The complete schedule is also available on the KCS website.

Led by KCS' Southern Belle business train, the Holiday Express train includes a smiling tank car “Rudy”; a flatcar carrying Santa's sleigh, reindeer and a miniature village; a gingerbread boxcar; the elves' workshop; the reindeer stable; and a little red caboose. The Holiday Express was created in 2001 after volunteers dedicated over 8,000 hours to the rigorous transformation of the previously retired rail cars.

The Holiday Express was built on the tradition of the Santa Train, which ran on a segment of the network purchased by KCS in 1997. In 2000, KCS employees noticed that the Santa Train was the only Christmas some kids had, and that some did not even have essential items like coats, hats and gloves. KCS employees were so touched that they committed to elevating the project. Since its beginning in 2001, the Holiday Express project has raised over USD 1,344,959 and distributed 53,798 gift cards for this cause.

While KCS' 2013 Holiday Express fundraising campaign for The Salvation Army is closed, anyone still interested in making a contribution to The Salvation Army may do so through the Online Red Kettle program. Contributions will support the zip code from which the donation was made.