Since its beginnings in 1990, the Rocky Mountaineer has been whisking riders through western Canada’s otherworldly landscapes. Today, this award-winning rail service is recognized as the world’s largest privately owned luxury train company, and has said “all aboard!” to almost 2 million passengers over the past 27 years. Read on to find out a little bit more about what makes this locomotive one-of-a-kind, and experience it for yourself on a tour of the Canadian Rockies.
The perspective is second to none.
With glass-domed coaches on its GoldLeaf service and panoramic windows on SilverLeaf cars, the Mountaineer offers passengers some pretty unique views of the Canadian Rockies. As the train snakes its way through British Columbia and Alberta’s breathtaking backcountry, riders are treated to views of snowcapped mountains, towering pine forests, glacial lakes, and even wildlife from all angles.
Sun’s out, train’s heading out.
One of the things that really sets the Rocky Mountaineer apart is that it has no sleeper cars. The reason why is because it only runs during daylight hours. That way, no sights go unseen overnight. Don’t worry though, this doesn’t mean everyone has to sleep in their seats—each evening everyone aboard gets taken to hotels for the night.
That’s a lot of track.
Four unique routes that take riders from Seattle or Vancouver to places like Whistler, Jasper, Banff, and everywhere in between are bound to cover a fair amount of distance. That’s why the Mountaineer chugs along on upwards of 1,700 miles of track—that’s just about as far as it is from Boston to Oklahoma City.
Train for Heroes
Every year since 2014, the Rocky Mountaineer has welcomed aboard members of the community who have committed their time to helping improve the lives of others. This private journey honors their selfless acts and allows invitees to create memories with their families. Past departures of the Train for Heroes program have included families from the Starlight Children’s Foundation and the good Samaritans of the Fort McMurray fires.
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