Tickets for the Polar Express holiday train rides go on sale to the public Monday.Just over 20,000 tickets go on sale — online only — at 6 a.m., said spokeswoman Kelly Steele of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.People need to go to www.cvsr.com. Know the date you want and which departure point you want.Tickets are $38 for ages 1 and up, plus a handling fee of $2 per ticket.People can upgrade tickets on the Polar Express. Upgraded tickets range from $43 to $68 a person.The Polar Express will run nightly from Northside Station in Akron and Rockside Station in Independence from 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 17 to Dec. 20.There will be matinee trips at 10 a.m. on Dec. 17 and 18 from Akron and Independence.The Polar Express through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park began in 1994.The highly popular holiday program is based on Chris Van Alsburg’s book The Polar Express. It is about a young boy’s trip to the North Pole that revives his belief in the Christmas spirit.Children typically wear their pajamas on the train while hearing the story, sipping hot chocolate and eating cookies.Tickets went on sale earlier to members and volunteers of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.Last June, the railroad offered tickets on four dates in November for sale to the public for 72 hours.The Polar Express is offered in partnership with Cuyahoga Valley National Park and through a license agreement with Rail Events Inc.The railroad is not offering the Polar Express this year from Canton’s Lincoln Highway Station. That’s due to economic conditions and operational difficulties.That service could be offered again in the future, officials said. The Polar Express operated from Canton from 2007-2010.Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.