The Terrifying Haunted Train Ride Promising 100 Minutes of Scares

The ride will include a stop at a Halloween festival complete with a scare maze.

As railroads are all old and presumably haunted, ghost trains have made a lasting impression on Halloween lore. And since phantom trains clank across the rails from Stockholm to St. Louis, it's probably time you consider buying a ticket for a frightful ride to remember—besides your usual subway commute.

That's where the New Hope Railroad comes in: The Pennsylvania rail company is changing up its usual October haunted train ride offering this year, to launch an entirely new experience called No Hope After Dark, which will last for more than 100 minutes and include a brand new scare maze.

"The night isn't solely about screams and shivers," the website states. "Many nights beckon with food trucks offering a delicious escape from the fright and live music casting enchanting tunes under the moonlit sky, bringing a lively respite for the brave at heart."

The historic train departs under the cover of darkness from New Hope, Pennsylvania, and snakes its way through an eerie stretch of railroad that drifts through the woods toward the festival site dubbed "the realm of the unknown." Some nights, the festival will include food trucks. However, meal service won't be available on the train.

It's recommended that only adults venture out to the ghost train, but steel-nerved teenagers are welcome to scrap with the ghouls as well. The excursion is open to anyone who is aged 13 or older. 
 

The train has first and coach class seats available. Tickets will start at $53 for coach seats, and will go up to $79 for first class seats. New Hope recommends booking your tickets in advance online at NewHopeRailRoad.com

Rides on the train start on Friday, October 6 and run through Halloween. The train will run every Friday through Sunday throughout the month, with occasional Wednesday and Thursday dates. There will be added dates Monday, October 30, and Tuesday, October 31.

Some coach reservations have already sold out, so you'll want to book your tickets soon if you plan on riding this haunted train. And make sure to arrive 20 minutes prior to departure, as ghosts wait for no man, woman or child over the age of 13. 

As willfully subjecting yourself to horror is not a natural course of action for everyone, you can always look take the railroad's entirely wholesome and not-at-all-scary Fall Excursion, which is a two-hour roundtrip journey through Pennsylvania foliage. 

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Esquire. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster. 
Opheli Garcia Lawler is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in Journalism from NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She's worked in digital media for seven years, and before working at Thrillist, she wrote for Mic, The Cut, The Fader, Vice, and other publications. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.