SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Postal Service® is in full holiday mode with the opening of the Holiday Priority Mail Train at the Carmel Postal Store, 11251 Rancho Carmel Drive.

The train, located in the post office drive-through, allows customers who are shipping Priority Mail® domestic (within the US) packages and paying with debit or credit card to do so from the comforts of their vehicles. It’s also a drop-off site for prepaid Priority Mail parcels. Holiday Forever® stamps are available.

“With all of the hustle and bustle associated with the holidays, we wanted to make it more convenient for customers using our Priority Mail service,” said Marketing Manager Christine Carmichael. “It provides customers with just a few packages to conduct a transaction with a shorter wait time compared to a postal lobby.”

The Holiday Priority Mail Train is open now through December 21, Monday through Saturday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. It’s also open Sunday, December 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., weather permitting. Packages must be boxed, sealed and addressed when entering the drive-through.

The Postal Service® expects to deliver nearly 15 billion pieces of mail and 900 million packages, for a total of nearly 16 billion cheerful deliveries this holiday season – the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

With an increase in early and online shopping for gifts, there is no longer a “busiest day” for holiday shipping. Instead, USPS’ busiest time is now two weeks before Christmas starting the week of December 10.

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