Overcrowding problems haunt the 'Ghost Train'

The Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce wants to find another sponsor for Fall Fest and the Midwest Central Railroad needs more help with events at the Ghost Train. On Tuesday night, representatives of both organizations met with a number of school and community groups to see if the problems faced by both organizations could lead to a bigger and better community event.

      Part of the problem, according to Midwest Central Railroad Board President Matt Crull, is that the railroad didn't plan for the explosive growth which now brings 3,000 to 4,000 people to an event which started only four years ago.

      "As most of you know, Ghost Train started out on a whim," said Crull. "We thought, 'hey, let's have a Ghost Train,' and two weeks later we had a Ghost Train, and it proved to be pretty popular."

      The event was planned simply to use up excess fuel in one of the train engines, but drew 800 riders in its first year. Subsequent years saw even more success, with ridership nearly doubling each year.

      "We're now at a crossroads," said Crull. "We're asking if we want to be something larger, a community event."

      Crull said the two main organizations involved so far, Midwest Central Railroad and the Mt. Pleasant Jaycees, are no longer able to handle the crowds on the trains and in the haunted house.

      "It's now up to an hour or an hour and a half wait to get on the Ghost Train, and with the Jaycees it's the same way. It poses a major safety issue for the railroad if we've got that many people packed around North Station, and trains are coming in," said Crull. "Maybe it would help to spread the crowds around some more."