Conway Scenic Railroad is celebrating its very successful 2023 season and looking forward to growing in 2024—its 50th year in the railroad excursion business.

The most dynamic change for Conway Scenic in 2023 was its entry into partnerships with established cruise ship operators, beginning with the Royal Caribbean Group, to provide shore excursions from Portland, Maine over Crawford Notch. In the autumn, Conway Scenic partnered with Portland’s VIP Tour and Charter Bus Company to transport cruise passengers from the pier to the North Conway (New Hampshire) Railroad station, where passengers boarded the Mountaineer rail excursion over Crawford Notch.

The success of this exciting development led Conway Scenic to make the strategic decision to acquire VIP as part of its growth plans. The acquisition is significant because it establishes a dynamic synergy between the two companies key to Conway Scenic’s development of shore excursion travel business for cruise ship passengers arriving at Portland, Maine, while also increasing its capacity to accommodate the bus tour business from multiple origin points across New England and New York.

Railroad president and general manager Dave Swirk elaborated, “this is a smart business decision that opens opportunities to grow both companies.”

“This is a very good fit. I love it!” says Lana Sawyer, VIP Director of Operations whose father Raymond Penfold Jr. (1927-2016) founded VIP in 1985.

Working together, Conway Scenic and VIP plan to grow their tour business by overcoming limitations in the transportation infrastructure between Portland and the Mount Washington Valley. Visitors will be able enjoy first class rail tours of Crawford Notch and other destinations without the need to drive themselves to North Conway.

The acquisition also opens Conway Scenic to opportunities for vacation packages and international travel in the White Mountain region and is aimed at boosting tourism with a minimal carbon footprint.

Making better use of resources will benefit stakeholders during shoulder seasons as well as during peak autumn travel. Another key to this strategy has been the purchase of additional first class railcars and the plan to operate dedicated trains for the benefit of cruise ship and bus tour passengers.

Conway Scenic’s new dedicated train will greatly expand capacity by adding hundreds of seats, increasing the number of weekly and monthly departures, and offering a host new excursion times, all of which will allow for the railroad to better pursue group traffic while also better accommodating walk up visitors.

For details on VIP and group excursions contact: Tom@vipchartercoaches.com