Where does the magical train in "The Polar Express" go to?

In The Polar Express, the magical train travels to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. It arrives there so the children aboard can witness Santa Claus preparing for his Christmas journey and meet him before he departs.

The destination comes from Chris Van Allsburg’s 1985 picture book, in which a young boy who is beginning to doubt Santa hears a train outside his home. After boarding, he travels through snowy forests and mountains with other children, drinks hot chocolate, and eventually reaches the North Pole. Santa chooses the boy to receive the first gift of Christmas, and he asks for a bell from Santa’s sleigh.

The story’s North Pole is more than a fantasy location: it represents belief and the willingness to accept wonder. In the 2004 film adaptation, the same journey is expanded with perilous railroad scenes and a much larger depiction of Santa’s workshop. The train was visually inspired in part by Pere Marquette 1225, a real steam locomotive associated with the date December 25.