The southern terminus is located at 233 North Grand Canyon Boulevard in Williams, Arizona. The northern terminus is located on Village Loop Drive in Grand Canyon Village and is part of the Grand Canyon National Park Historic District.

The Grand Canyon train trip is a full day activity. The Wild West Shootout starts at 9:00. The train departs Williams at 9:30 and arrives at the South Rim at 11:45. The return train departs the Grand Canyon at 15:30 and arrives in Williams at 17:45. Each leg of the train trip is 2 hours and 15 minutes. Time at the Canyon is 3.5 hours. Trains depart daily year around except December 25. The Polar Express departs the Williams depot at 18:30 and 20:00 on select evenings from mid-November through early January.

The Grand Canyon Railway has four classes of service. The Polar Express has one. Tickets can be purchased individually or as part of a vacation packages. Rates don't include tax or park admission. A reduced rate is available for kids aged 2 to 15. Kids under 2 years of age are free of charge.