Freedom (Cal)Train Commemorates Martin Luther King Jr.

Bay Area residents coming out to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. day will enjoy a historic commute on Monday, thanks to Caltrain's 27th annual Freedom Train ride.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Santa Clara teamed up with Caltrain to host the commemorative ride. The Freedom Train will make only four stops between San Jose and San Francisco, including one at the Sunnyvale station at 9:45 a.m. and another at the Palo Alto station at 9:59 a.m.

A at approximately 6:23 a.m. today at the Oak Grove Avenue crossing in Burlingame. However, Caltrain announced that it does not expect delays to the Freedom Train's departure.

Freedom Train rides started in the Bay Area in the early 1980s as a way for residents to memorialize King's historic march in Alabama, from Selma to Montgomery, in 1965.

The rides were established all over the country by King's wife, Coretta Scott King, after he was assassinated in 1968, said Kathleen Flynn, the association's vice president.

Over the years, however, Freedom Trains stopped running, strained by a bad the economy, making the Bay Area's Freedom Train one of the last in the country, Flynn said.

"We've been very blessed that we have just enough money to keep it running," she said. "Any money left over goes to our scholarship fund for underprivileged students."

The train will arrive at its final destination in San Francisco at around 11 a.m., Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said.

The train ride covers 54 miles, the same distance King marched from Selma to Montgomery 45 years ago.

Once aboard the train, riders can participate in singing songs, learning about Martin Luther King Jr. and sharing memories, Flynn said.

Once in San Francisco, Freedom Train riders can participate in a full day of activities hosted by the Northern California Martin Luther King Jr. Community Foundation.

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. March and Parade begins at the train depot at the intersection of Fourth and Townsend streets at 11 a.m.

The parade will end at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, where the foundation has planned a full-day celebration with the theme, "Sustaining the Dream: Through Community and Service."

Events include a Mind, Body and Soul festival, as well as free admission and special events for children and teens at the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the Museum of the African Diaspora.

There will also be a special presentation, called, "King in Five Vignettes," featuring local musicians, performing artists and youth performers.

Organizers for Monday's events are expecting a high turnout, Flynn said.

With more than 1,200 riders last year, Dunn said the Freedom Train has always been a popular event.

Riders are reminded to bring proof of purchase to the station so they can get their Freedom Train ticket, Flynn said.

The cost for a round-trip ticket is $10. Riders can take any train back toward San Jose after 1 p.m.

Freedom Train tickets are sold only by the association (Caltrain fare media is NOT valid). However, Freedom Train tickets will be honored by Caltrain on all southbound trains after noon on the day of the celebration.

To purchase tickets, visit scvmlk.org or call 408-861-5323. If Freedom Train tickets are sold out, people can buy a regular Caltrain ticket and take any regularly scheduled northbound train to join festivities in San Francisco.

—Bay City News contributed to this report.