Final Freedom Train rolls in Bay Area

SAN JOSE, Calif. – America’s final Freedom Train chugged out of San Jose’s Diridon Station and into the history books Monday, ending three decades of tributes on the nation’s rails to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring legacy.

After years of declining interest, the chartered Caltrain roared to San Francisco on what organizers say was its last journey with a rejuvenated spirit and about 1,500 passengers – five times more than last year.

Packed joyously in 10 train cars, the multicultural mix of pilgrims sang civil rights hymns, read King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and shared personal stories. Michelle Geary’s mother, Arlee Geary, made sure their family was onboard.

“My mom called me and said, ‘I grew up on Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy, and if this is going to be the last train I want all of us to ride it,’ ” said Michelle Geary, of San Jose, whose son and husband were also part of the final ride.

King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, started the Freedom Train celebrations in dozens of cities across the country to commemorate the historic civil rights march her husband led from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

But with so many new competing events over the years marking King’s birthday, the train journeys faded away, leaving the Bay Area’s as the lone survivor. This year, after the police killings of unarmed black men in Missouri and New York, the traditional day of service also became a day of civil rights protests.

“All those people protesting these days, they ought to be demanding the continuation of the Freedom Train, because losing this is a really a shame,” said Charles Herndon, who was the conductor on the first 25 years of King trains before retiring. He rode the farewell train as a passenger Monday.

At 54 miles from station to station, the San Jose-to-San Francisco trip was about the same distance King and his fellow marchers traveled five decades ago.

Donna Clay, who remembers the heartache of the Jim Crow experience during her childhood in Texas, came from Oakland to catch the last train.

“It has always been a way to recognize the African-American legends who came before us,” Clay said. “This train is a message to young people that they need to get involved in the political process – especially voting. I’m so glad to see so many kids out here.”

David Cuffy, of Menlo Park, a fan of the train since he was a kid, brought his two daughters and his wife on Monday to say goodbye.

“There was no way I was going to get the final train ride without me and mine,” said Cuffy, an administrative assistant at Stanford. “I hope they do it again, but if not, I just had to be here to honor one of my heroes.”

Before this year, attendance had been in a “severe decline” for seven straight years, said Kathleen Flynn, the president of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Santa Clara Valley, which organized the annual event.

“We had been having a hard time getting sponsors because of poor attendance, so the decision was made” to make this year’s Freedom Train the last one. While Monday’s participation dwarfed recent years, it was still half the number of people who rode in the early days.