"Rocky Mountaineer" (Train): Route, Overview, Information
Last revised: September 6, 2024
By: Adam Burns
The 'dayliner' Rocky Mountaineer is North America's leading tourist train, and for good reason. Having transported more than 2 million passengers since 1990, it offers first class accommodations and breathtaking views of the Canadian Rockies.
The service was launched by VIA Rail to test the tourism market during a time when such trains were drawing interest throughout North America.
Back then the train was a single-car affair; today, it maintains a large fleet and operates several trips traveling north, east, and south from Vancouver, British Columbia.
The current Rocky Mountaineer, adorned in a stunning livery of deep blue with gold and white trim, features 65 different packages. These trips have a variety of choices depending on one's interest such as hotel accommodations, self-driving options, and bus connections.
The train, whose GoldLeaf service provides 24/7 glass solarium (dome) viewing, always runs during the daylight hours for maximum viewing.
In this article the train and its history will be briefly highlighted.
History
The Rocky Mountaineer would have never been possible if not for the Canadian Northern's (Canadian National) and Canadian Pacific's efforts to link their country by rail over a century ago.
When the Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867, the plan for a transcontinental railroad took on even greater importance for a multitude of reasons, ranging from an American takeover to improved transportation.
As a private company, the Canadian Pacific Railway was formed in February, 1873. The modern CP, designed exclusively to run through Canada, was incorporated in 1881, and began construction from Callander, Ontario.
Its promoters' ultimate goal was to reach British Columbia and the Pacific coast. This railroad was an incredibly complex project involving many moving parts.
From the west, work was undertaken at Yale, British Columbia in May, 1880 along the Fraser River.
It was led by Andrew Onderdonk, an American engineer from New York. The line he selected ran north through the Fraser Canyon before turning northeasterly along the Thompson River Canyon where it hugged its eastern bank into Kamloops Lake.
This particular corridor would cover 127 miles and eventually meet its eastern counterpart heading west out of Calgary, Alberta.
This section was built by another American, Major Albert Bowman (A.B.) Rogers. He envisioned a line crossing three mountain passes and following river canyons. Naturally, this meant a right-of-way squeezing through narrow valleys and blasted from solid granite rock.
Heading out of Calgary it followed the Bow River before crossing the Canadian Rockies at 5,338-foot Kicking Horse Pass.
From there it snaked its way along the Kicking Horse River, turned west to the Columbia River, and headed slightly north before crossing Rogers Pass within the Selkirk Mountains.
It then headed west along the stunning Illecillewaet River where towering mountain peaks maintain a watchful gaze. Next, rails passed through the community of Revelstoke before again meeting the Columbia.
The last mountain crossing was Eagles Pass; Bowman's route concluded by following Shuswap Lake's shoreline before meeting Onderdonk's segment at Kamloops. CP's initial western terminus was Port Moody with the first train leaving Montreal to the west coast on June 28, 1886.
The former was soon switched to nearby Granville (later renamed Vancouver) for better port facilities in 1886. Through the early 20th century CP continued to expand, such as 1916's completion of the Kettle Valley Railway.
This particular corridor, as Tom Murray notes in his book, "Canadian Pacific Railway," offered a second line into Vancouver via Coquihalla Pass. It linked up with the original line at Hope in July, 1916.
The Rocky Mountaineer's service to Jasper was constructed by the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR), which later became part of Canadian National's transcontinental network.
According to the book, "History Of The Canadian National Railways," by author G.R. Stevens the CNoR was formed on January 13, 1899 as a joint effort of William Mackenzie and Donald Mann to break Canadian Pacific's transcontinental monopoly.
In brief, it began by acquiring the Winnipeg Great Northern Railway (Gladstone - Winnipegosis, Manitoba) in 1896. Over the following decade, the project slowly worked its way westward and by 1906 boasted a route from Port Arthur, Ontario to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
During the next few years MacKenzie and Mann continued pushing west, eventually reaching Edmonton. They then pushed the railroad through the Canadian Rockies at Yellowhead Pass before turning southwesterly towards Vancouver.
The line was completed when a final spike was driven at Basque, British Columbia in 1914; on January 1st that year the CNoR opened as a fully coast-to-coast carrier.
Canada's most well known railroad not named Canadian National or Canadian Pacific was the Pacific Great Eastern (PGE). From a historical standpoint, it was a very late entrant, not incorporated until 1912.
It was originally designed as a private system, jointly funded by Canadian and American investors to serve much of British Columbia. Envisioned as a north-to-south routing it would connect Vancouver with Prince George where interchange would be opened with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway.
Unfortunately, financial troubles resulted in decades of delays. According to the article "To Alaska Or Bust On A Mixed Train" by Steve Patterson and Joe McMillan from the August, 1986 issue of Trains Magazine, it finally opened to Prince George in 1952 and boasted through service to Vancouver by 1956.
In the succeeding years it continued to expand, pushing as far north as Fort Nelson and Jackson with the main line splitting at Odell.
There were hopes of opening an extension to Dease Lake and potentially complete the long-sought connection to Alaska although lack of funding killed this dream. It was renamed as the British Columbia Railway in 1972 and today is leased by Canadian National.
Route
The rail tour business never really ended when Amtrak took over most intercity rail services in the United States in 1971.
However, its creation not only shifted resources away from private investment but also caused trains to slip further from the public eye.
In the U.S., largely due to the availability of surplus equipment, such attractions grew in number during the 1980's. Unfortunately, most were either poorly executed or hampered by steep fixed costs.
The most famous was the American-European Express launched in 1989. This ultra-luxurious experience struggled and was canceled within a year.
However, its successor, the American Orient Express, proved much more successful and remained in service until 2008. Its most important contribution to the market was the so-called "cruise train" concept, launched in 1997 when TCS Expeditions took over operations.
It was based on the cruise ship principal whereby accommodations and the train functioned and acted like an ocean-going vessel with lavish service and breathtaking views; today, no, true rail tours like this currently exist in America, aside from Amtrak's general offerings.
There are many reasons for their absence, ranging from cost to profit potential. A primary factor, however, is the private railroads' hostility towards passenger trains.
In Canada it is much different where less stringent regulations have allowed such services to prosper, none more-so than the Rocky Mountaineer.
In his article, "Luxury West: Is Anything Finer Than Through The Rockies By Rail? I Don't Think So," from the February, 2002 edition of Trains Magazine, author Bob Johnston notes the train began in 1988 when VIA Rail decided to experiment in the tourism market.
Utilizing surplus reclining seat, leg-rest coaches its first trains were launched in June on a weekly schedule from Vancouver to Calgary via what was dubbed, "Canadian Rockies By Daylight."
Just as American investors learned, making money in the rail travel business is extremely difficult. Nevertheless, VIA persisted and renamed the train the Rocky Mountaineer in 1989, unveiling an overnight stop to Kamloops that year.
With interest building the train was sold to the Great American Railtour Company in 1990. The privately-owned venture made its first run on May 27th and a new attraction was forever born.
That decade, the Rocky Mountaineer launched its now-signature "GoldLeaf" service and grew from a single car to ten. As planners soon realized, passengers love the views afforded on dome cars, which significantly add to the overall experience.
With the market for second-hand domes limited, the Rocky Mountaineer elected to purchase new equipment.
These cars were a sort of hybrid, originally designed by Tom Rader and Bob Steele, inspired from the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe's popular Hi-Level cars first introduced on its all-coach El Capitan in 1954.
Revolutionary at the time, they were a type of bi-level coach, featuring a full-length curved glass solarium on the top floor for maximum viewing. When Amtrak was awarded funding in the 1970's, it ordered cars based on this design.
Known as the "Superliner," Pullman-Standard built 284 "Superliner I's" between 1975–1981 (the legendary builder's final order) and Bombardier Transportation added another 195 "Superliner II's" between 1991–1996.
For Rader and Steele their concept used former Southern Pacific bi-level commuter coaches for Princess Cruise trains in Alaska.
They were a major hit and Rader's Colorado Railcar, launched in 1988 to build rail tour cars, eventually constructed sixteen "GoldLeaf" domes for the Rocky Mountaineer between 1995 and 2007 according the news release "Rocky Mountaineer Adds Capacity, Offers Discounts" by Bob Johnston from Trains Newswire's February 8, 2019 edition.
Naturally, the new cars proved phenomenally successful. Today, the Rocky Mountaineer is a fully domed train featuring a fleet of 58 cars.
In 2018 it added new equipment for the first time in over a decade when four arrived that year. Products of Switzerland's Stadler Rail A.G. they feature many new perks, such as dimmable tinted upstairs glass and European-type air-spring trucks.
However, their overall appearance will still match the original "GoldLeaf" equipment built by Colorado Railcar to maintain the train's streamlined appearance. For power, the Rocky Mountaineer relies on former Canadian National GP40-2L's and GP40-2R's of Penn Central heritage.
The former were originally built by Electro-Motive's General Motors Diesel Division (GMDD) of London, Ontario while the latter at its La Grange, Illinois facility. Under its current format, the train (now operated by Great Canadian Railtours Company) is strictly seasonal (late April through mid-October) in an effort to avoid western Canada's harsh, unforgiving winters.
There are currently four routes available:
- First Passage to the West (Vancouver – Lake Louise/Banff/Calgary)
- Journey Through the Clouds (Vancouver – Jasper)
- Coastal Passage (Seattle – Jasper, Lake Louise, or Banff)
- Rainforest to Gold Rush (Vancouver – Jasper via Whistler/Quesnel)
Along the way you will pass through seven mountain ranges; Cascades, Rockies, Coast Mountain, Cariboo, Selkirk, Centennial, and Premier.
Recent Articles
-
Draft EA Reviews Norfolk Southern Track in London, Ohio
Nov 07, 26 11:35 AM
The Surface Transportation Board environmental office issued a draft assessment on November 6, 2026, for about 0.96 miles of Norfolk Southern track in London, Ohio. Comments are due November 20. -
Metrolink Lines Will Not Run on Three Routes November 7
Nov 07, 26 10:53 AM
Metrolink will not run the Ventura County, Orange County, or Inland Empire-Orange County lines on November 7 and 8, 2026. The advisory says no substitute transportation will be provided. -
Hartford Line Adds a Weekday Round Trip on November 16
Nov 07, 26 10:48 AM
Connecticut said the Hartford Line adds a weekday New Haven-Hartford round trip on November 16, starts a morning train in Springfield, and extends weekend stops to Windsor and Windsor Locks. -
Board Issues a Policy Statement on Rail Preemption
Nov 07, 26 10:44 AM
The Surface Transportation Board placed a policy statement on public inspection for the November 9 Federal Register. It reviews existing preemption precedent and says it makes no binding determination… -
NJ Transit Restores Lines After the Newark Drawbridge Stop
Nov 07, 26 10:37 AM
NJ Transit said Morris and Essex service between Hackettstown and Dover, and Montclair-Boonton service between Hackettstown and Montclair State University, resumed after the Newark Drawbridge stop. -
EMD "SD35" Locomotives: Data Sheet, Specs, Roster
Nov 06, 26 10:35 PM
EMD SD35, 2,500 horsepower, 16-cylinder 567D3A, built June 1964 through January 1966. 360 locomotives. Specifications and the production roster by owner, serial, and order. -
EMD "SDP35" Locomotives: Data Sheet, Specs, Roster
Nov 06, 26 10:32 PM
EMD SDP35, the steam-generator SD35. 35 locomotives, July 1964 through September 1965. Seaboard Air Line 1100-1119, Atlantic Coast Line 550, Louisville and Nashville 1700-1703, Union Pacific 1400-1409… -
RJ Corman Will Be Replaced on Part of the Luzerne Lines
Nov 06, 26 01:34 PM
A November 6, 2026 notice says Wilkes-Barre Terminal Railway would acquire about 59.65 miles in Luzerne County and replace R.J. Corman as operator on part of the line. The earliest date is November 22… -
NS Names a Student Hub at the University of Georgia
Nov 06, 26 12:03 PM
Norfolk Southern said a 100,000 dollar gift named a student-organization hub in Driftmier Engineering Center. The University of Georgia marked the naming on October 26. The space is for 23 clubs. -
Union Pacific Filed Its Vena Recording Certification
Nov 06, 26 11:56 AM
Union Pacific filed a November 5, 2026 verified statement that the confidential label is off the March 17 Vena recording and that parties of record received a copy at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. -
OmniTRAX Adds Tenants at Its Blue Island Hub
Nov 06, 26 10:26 AM
OmniTRAX has signed new construction-company leases at its 90-acre Blue Island, Illinois, hub and is planning a second phase. -
Veterans and Active-Duty Members Exceed 16 Percent of Norfolk Southern
Nov 06, 26 10:14 AM
Norfolk Southern said on November 5, 2026, that more than 3,000 veterans and active-duty service members are more than 16 percent of its workforce. This year grants are $100,000 and $50,000. -
BNSF: Merger Would Put Half of U.S. Rail Shipments Under One Railroad
Nov 06, 26 10:00 AM
BNSF chief marketing officer Tom G. Williams told customers on November 3, 2026, that a Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger would put about half of U.S. rail shipments under one railroad. Nothing is… -
Amtrak Opens a Winter Fare Sale
Nov 06, 26 09:28 AM
Amtrak opened a Winter Wanderlust sale on November 5, 2026. Book by November 12 for travel from December 1, 2026, through March 14, 2027. Blackout dates apply. Coach and Acela Business only. -
CN and CPKC Report October Grain Records
Nov 06, 26 08:50 AM
CPKC reported October 2026 grain records in Canada and the United States. CN reported 3.54 million metric tonnes across Canada. The releases do not print a combined total. -
New Brunswick Transload Gets CN Rail Service
Nov 06, 26 08:49 AM
CN said on November 4, 2026, that it has started serving AD Gagnon Transload Services near Grand Falls, New Brunswick. The site is three kilometres from the Trans-Canada Highway and lists room for 106… -
Together, Freight and Passenger Rail Can Grow, Union Pacific Says
Nov 06, 26 08:47 AM
Union Pacific said on November 5, 2026, that passenger obligations would remain if it combines with Norfolk Southern. The capacity claim is a Union Pacific analysis, not a Surface Transportation Board… -
FM "C-Liner" Locomotives: Specs, Roster, Photos
Nov 05, 26 11:19 PM
Fairbanks-Morse Consolidation Line cab units, the C-Liners. 165 locomotives, Beloit and Kingston, March 1950 through February 1955. Models, specs, and production rosters. -
Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast Railroad: Map, History, Roster
Nov 05, 26 12:03 PM
Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast, from Brunswick and Waycross to Atlanta and Birmingham. Atlantic Coast Line control at the close of 1926. Merged in January 1946 as the Western Division. Steam roster of th… -
El Paso & Southwestern Railroad: Map, History, Logo
Nov 05, 26 12:00 PM
The El Paso & Southwestern, the Phelps Dodge copper railroad from Tucson to the Rock Island at Tucumcari. Southern Pacific control on October 31, 1924. -
Brightline Says Orlando Service Has Resumed
Nov 05, 26 11:55 AM
Brightline said on November 5, 2026, that trains to and from Orlando have resumed after weather suspensions in Brevard County. Later that morning the departures page still showed the Orlando segment s… -
Metra Customers Must Sign Up Again
Nov 05, 26 11:43 AM
Metra says customers who want service alerts must sign up again at metratracker.com. The November 2 story says the new system has launched and the old email list is shut down. A notice on the same pag… -
Norfolk Southern Packs Six Projects Into One Window
Nov 05, 26 11:38 AM
Norfolk Southern used one 26-hour window on the W Line for six projects in Indiana and Kentucky, including three bridge replacements. The October 27 account does not give the calendar day of the work. -
CSX: More Time to Comment on an Inspection Waiver
Nov 05, 26 11:29 AM
The Federal Railroad Administration extended comments on a CSX petition for relief from some qualified mechanical inspector rules until December 2, 2026. The November 2 notice does not grant the waive… -
Brightline Expects Orlando Service on Thursday
Nov 05, 26 09:21 AM
Brightline said on November 4, 2026, that it expects trains to and from Orlando to resume on Thursday, November 5. South Florida stations kept running. The departures page still showed the Orlando seg… -
Union Pacific: More Time to Comment on an Inspection Waiver
Nov 05, 26 09:15 AM
The Federal Railroad Administration extended comments on a Union Pacific petition for relief from some qualified mechanical inspector rules until December 2, 2026. The November 2 notice does not grant… -
Wisconsin Opens Comments on the 2027 Freight Plan
Nov 05, 26 09:03 AM
WisDOT opened the draft 2027 State Freight Plan for comment through December 1, 2026. The plan covers freight rail with highways, harbors, aviation, and intermodal links. Completion is expected in sum… -
U.S. Rail Traffic Rose 3.5 Percent in the Week Ending October 31
Nov 05, 26 08:52 AM
U.S. railroads moved 514,080 carloads and intermodal units in the week ending October 31, 2026, up 3.5 percent from a year earlier, the Association of American Railroads said on November 4. -
Muni and Bay Area Transit Measures Pass
Nov 05, 26 08:49 AM
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency said on November 4, 2026 that Proposition H and a regional transit measure passed. Proposition H is about 160 million dollars a year for Muni. The regiona… -
Ground Rules Set for Responsive Applications
Nov 05, 26 08:47 AM
Decision No. 46, served November 4, 2026, denies a request to add Walsenburg to the Union Pacific interchange list and sets what CPKC and CN must include in responsive applications. Four CPKC proposal… -
Video of the Vena Address Must Be Released
Nov 05, 26 08:42 AM
The Surface Transportation Board on November 4, 2026 denied the Union Pacific appeal and ordered the March 17 shipper-conference recording released to the parties by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on November 5. C… -
Chicago & North Western Iron Ore C628s
Nov 04, 26 11:47 PM
Chicago and North Western C628s 6701-6730, the ex-Norfolk and Western high-hoods, in Upper Peninsula iron-ore service from the mid-1970s until December 21, 1986, and what happened to each unit. -
Warrenton Railroad: Serving Warrenton, NC (1884-1985)
Nov 04, 26 10:33 PM
The three-mile Warrenton Railroad, from Warren Plains to the North Carolina county seat. Chartered January 28, 1871. First train November 8, 1884. Closed in 1985. -
Rio Grande Steam Locomotives (Since 1900)
Nov 04, 26 11:40 AM
Denver & Rio Grande Western steam locomotives built since 1900. Standard gauge quantity 435 and narrow gauge 48. Challengers, 2-8-8-2s, Mountains, Northerns, and the K-27, K-28, K-36, and K-37. -
Rio Grande Diesel Locomotives (All-Time)
Nov 04, 26 11:39 AM
Denver & Rio Grande Western diesel locomotives, each frame once. 554 units, from the 1941 NW2 through the 1990 GP60s. FT, F3, F7, and F9 sets are not counted again under their 1950 numbers. -
Rio Grande Railroad: Map, Logo, History, Rosters
Nov 04, 26 11:34 AM
Denver & Rio Grande Western history, from William Jackson Palmer and the October 27, 1870 charter through the Royal Gorge, the Moffat route, the California Zephyr, and Union Pacific common control… -
Lindblom Gift Expands the Fort Wayne Restoration Shop
Nov 04, 26 11:14 AM
Art Lindblom gave the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society more than $1.4 million, its largest single gift, to expand the New Haven shop. The addition is planned for late 2026 and early 2027. A sepa… -
Design Contract Awarded for the Forest Park Branch
Nov 04, 26 11:09 AM
The Chicago Transit Board approved a design contract for about 13 miles of Blue Line track from the Illinois Medical District to the I-290 Bridge. The release summary calls it a $17 million contract… -
Kanawha River Railroad: The Norfolk Southern Lease Is Renewed
Nov 04, 26 10:51 AM
Kanawha River Railroad filed to keep leasing 309.45 miles from Norfolk Southern in West Virginia and Ohio. The second amendment is dated August 17, 2026. The Board has not set the date the exemption t… -
Short Line Center Awarded a $5.625 Million Grant
Nov 04, 26 10:35 AM
The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association received a $5.625 million CRISI grant on October 20, 2026, for the Short Line Training Center. A 25 percent match brings the project to $7.5 m… -
Palestine and Rusk Track Rebuild Finishes Its First Phase
Nov 04, 26 09:13 AM
The Texas & Eastern Railroad has finished the first phase of a roughly $30 million track project between Palestine and Rusk. Phase I used a $13.4 million CRISI grant. Phase II, at $8.54 million, adds… -
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx Get Subway Power Design
Nov 04, 26 09:12 AM
STV said on November 2, 2026, that MTA Construction and Development selected the firm to manage design of 10 subway substations and 12 circuit breaker houses in four New York boroughs. No contract pri… -
Chicago's Regional Transit Budget Goes Out for Comment
Nov 04, 26 09:07 AM
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority opened its first regional budget for comment through December 4, 2026. The proposal is $5.04 billion for 2027 operations and $9.73 billion in capital work throu… -
VIA Rail Finishes the Toronto Maintenance Centre
Nov 04, 26 09:05 AM
VIA Rail completed a four-year modernization of its Toronto Maintenance Centre on November 2, 2026. The Government of Canada invested $310 million. The shop supports 32 Corridor trainsets and will sus… -
Brightline Suspends Orlando Service for High Water
Nov 04, 26 09:02 AM
Brightline suspended trains between Orlando and West Palm Beach on November 2, 2026, because of high water in Brevard County. A later post the same day kept the suspension until 2:00 p.m. on November… -
Hiawatha West Draws Federal Funding Toward Madison
Nov 04, 26 08:58 AM
Amtrak welcomed a CRISI selection for Hiawatha West, extending Chicago-Milwaukee service toward Madison, Watertown, and Pewaukee. Wisconsin said on October 16 that the award is over $218 million. -
Seattle's Train Maintenance Facility Opens for Airo Trains
Nov 04, 26 08:56 AM
Amtrak cut the ribbon October 23, 2026, on a $250 million Seattle shop for Airo trains on the Cascades route. The building came in on time and $50 million under budget and opens in phases through the… -
Aberdeen Carolina and Western Wins a $19.9 Million Grant
Nov 04, 26 08:46 AM
The Aberdeen Carolina and Western Railway won a $19.9 million CRISI grant for about 30 miles of welded rail in Montgomery and Stanly counties. The railroad and NCDOT are putting up a 52 percent match… -
Alco "C628" Locomotives: Roster, Data Sheet, Specs
Nov 03, 26 07:57 PM
Alco Century C628: 2,750 hp C-C road switcher, 186 built from December 1963 to December 1968. Production roster, specs, and where the high-hood Norfolk and Western units went. -
Santa Fe Railroad (AT&SF): Diesel Roster (All-Time)
Nov 03, 26 12:54 PM
Santa Fe diesel locomotives, each new frame once, with construction numbers and order numbers. The counted total is 3,964, from the 1935 boxcabs through the SD75Ms.
