Find a train ride in Canada…
Ride a train along most any Canadian railway and you’re likely to ride into history. The vast rail network needed to access Canada’s remote reaches and rich resources has created a veritable nationwide rail park!
Best loved by families are the scenic train rides that bring traditional Canadiana to life. In Calgary, Alberta, a standard gauge steam train and electric streetcar roll past the restored stations and working turntable that add to the authenticity of Heritage Park Historical Village, the nation’s largest living history museum. In Squamish, British Columbia, Western Canada’s largest collection of heritage locomotives and railcars highlights rail’s role in the country’s development. A mini-train and seasonal event trains give visitors a chance to get onboard.
BC’s Underground Mining Railway is unique. The former mining town of Kimberly – now a lively tourist destination – hosts train rides that crawl underground to give visitors a revealing glimpse of mining practices at the historic Sullivan Mine which sourced lead, zinc, silver, and tin for nearly one hundred years.
From out of the Soo – the Great Lakes port city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario – Canada’s most lore-driven scenic train ride embarks. The Agawa Canyon Tour Train takes travelers on a rock-bound woodland journey to paradise along a century-old route unchanged with the passage of time. Its Wilderness Park destination, a reserve so remote that it can only be reached by rail or hiking trail, is home to the Ojibwe Nation’s legendary Thunderbird Spirit and was popularized by the Group of Seven; the renowned Canadian painters who made the park their muse.
In Québec, culture and tradition give the province’s scenic train rides distinctive français canadien flair. Québec City’s Train de Charlevoix takes a wilderness route edging the St. Lawrence River’s North Shore, stopping at a string of picturesque little resort villages along the way. A side-trip to Québec City for a ride aboard the 140-year-old Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec — the city’s famous incline railway — is not to be missed.
Find a train ride in Canada…
Find a train ride in Canada…
[expand trigclass=”noarrow trigger” rel=”class-one” title=”Alberta” tag=”h2″]
Alberta Prairie Railway
Stettler, Alberta
Round trips to the historic western Prairie village of Big Valley, some 32 km (20 mi) away, include live entertainment — usually a train robbery reenactment — plus a home-style country buffet. Trips alternate between diesel-powered and steam engine trains. Highlights include open-air car, live theater excursions, and dinner trains. Trains operate seasonally. Telephone: +1 (800) 282-3994; outside Canada: +1 (403) 742-2811.
[/expand]
[expand trigclass=”noarrow trigger” rel=”class-one” title=”British Columbia” tag=”h2″]
Port Alberni Steam Train
Alberni Pacific Railway
Port Alberni, British Columbia
Operations suspended for the 2021 season.
The Nelson Electric Tramway Society
Nelson, British Columbia
This fully-restored 100+ year old electric streetcar, once part of the original Nelson Street Railway, follows a scenic route along the Queen City’s Kootenay Lake waterfront. Highlights include train museum. Train operates seasonally. Telephone: +1 (250) 352-7672.
Kettle Valley Steam Railway
Summerland, British Columbia
Past orchards and vineyards, this authentic steam train makes its way on a 16 km (10 mi) journey through the Okanagan Valley. A focal point comes when the train gingerly crosses Trout Creek Trestle, 73 m (238 ft) above a deep cut granite canyon floor. Highlights include onboard entertainment, and Great Train Robbery and BBQ runs. Trains operate seasonally. Telephone: +1 (877) 494-8424.
Kamloops Heritage Railway
Kamloops, British Columbia
From its classic former CN station, the meticulously restored 1912 Spirit of Kamloops steam locomotive hauls heritage coaches along a wooded route wrapped with distant mountains. Highlights include a Wild West train robbery reenactment, open-air cars, and behind-the-scenes “Backshop Tour.” Trains operate seasonally. Telephone: +1 (250) 374-2141.
Kimberley Underground Mining Railway
Kimberley, British Columbia
A roll through the scenic Mark Creek Valley takes visitors to the former mine’s entrance tunnel which leads to an Underground Interpretive Centre staffed by former miners. Separate trains run to Kimberley Alpine Resort. Highlights include visits to the mine’s old powerhouse and several historic buildings. Trains operate seasonally. Telephone: +1 (250) 427-0022.
[/expand]
[expand trigclass=”noarrow trigger” rel=”class-one” title=”Manitoba” tag=”h2″]
Prairie Dog Central Railway
Rosser, Manitoba
Canada’s oldest operating steam engine train hauls century-old wooden coaches along a prairie line framed by farm fields and tall grass. A layover at Grosse Isle Heritage Site allow time for lunch or browsing market stalls. Heritage diesel locomotive operates on some runs. Highlights include Great Train Robbery theme trains, and Engineer for a Day experineces. Trains operate seasonally. Telephone: +1 (204) 832-5259.
[/expand]
[expand trigclass=”noarrow trigger” rel=”class-one” title=”Ontario” tag=”h2″]
Agawa Canyon Tour Train — Algoma Central Railway
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
This day trip into the “Heart of the Canadian Wilderness” takes passenger on a 100-plus mile journey across the Canadian Shield. Dense north woods part to make way for Agawa’s far-flung railway and to reveal rushing waters, remarkable rock formations and a wide variety of native wildlife. The scenic train ride’s final plunge to the canyon floor is followed by a two-hour layover during which one may explore a wilderness trail or enjoy a picnic. Highlights include dome seating and dining service. Train operates seasonally. Telephone: +1 (800) 242-9287.
Halton County Radial Railway
Milton, Ontario
This streetcar and electric railway museum commemorates Toronto’s radial railroads (1917-1948) along a preserved 2 km (1.25 mi) stretch of the original Guelph Line. Highlights include extensive collection of streetcars, interurbans, and equipment. Telephone: +1 (519) 856-9802.
Port Stanley Terminal Rail
Port Stanley, Ontario
From the Lake Erie resort village of Port Stanley, heritage diesel locomotives haul open and closed cars on a 11 km (7 mi) round trip through the scenic Kettle Creek Valley to St. Thomas. Highlights include train museum, and vintage circus car. Trains operate seasonally. Telephone: +1 (877) 244-4478.
The Portage Flyer
Muskoka Heritage Place, Huntsville, Ontario
Along the scenic Muskoka River, this classic steam engine train features a pair of vintage open-sided coaches. At Fairy Lake, passengers watch as a manual turntable reverses the engine for the return trip. Highlights include interpretive self-tour of Muskoka Pioneer Village. Trains operate seasonally. Telephone: +1 (705) 789-7576 Ext 3214.
South Simcoe Railway
Tottenham, Ontario
Through the Beeton Creek valley, heritage locomotives haul restored vintage coaches along a picturesque stretch of century-old branchline. Highlights include Tottenham Conservation Area (picnicing, camping, hiking, swimming) adjacent to the railway station. Trains operate seasonally. Telephone: +1 (905) 936-5815.
Waterloo Central Railway
Waterloo, Ontario
The Farmer’s Market Train connects Waterloo’s Northfield LRT station with the popular 600-vendor St. Jacob’s Farmer’s Market, the train shop at St. Jacobs Village, and Elmira, rural hub for area’s Mennonite community. Highlights include Train Engineer Experience and Hop-On-Hop-Off activities. Trains operate year-round. Telephone: +1 (519) 504-0527.
York Durham Heritage Railway
Stouffville & Uxbridge, Ontario
The Toronto area’s only heritage railway tracks 20 km (12 mi) on a scenic train ride through the wooded hills and river valleys of Ontario’s beautiful Oak Ridges Moraine habitat. Highlights include train museum and Engineer for a Day program. Trains operate seasonally. Telephone: +1 (905) 852-3696.
[/expand]
[expand trigclass=”noarrow trigger” rel=”class-one” title=”Québec” tag=”h2″]
Québec Funicular
Le Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec
Québec City, Québec
From the historic Louis Jolliet House near Place-Royale, the 1879 Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec climbs the 85.5 m (282 ft) cliff-face of Cape Diamond to its Dufferin Terrace station near the famous Le Château Frontenac. Trains operate year-round. Telephone: +1 (418) 692-1132
Orford Express
Magog, Québec
The Orford Express has ceased operations.
Train de Charlevoix
Québec City – La Malbaie, Québec
From the provincial capital’s Montmorency Falls, le train follows the southern edge of the Laurentian Range, through 125 km (80 mi) of Charlevoix wilderness along the St. Lawrence River’s North Shore. The route’s natural beauty is interrupted only by the handful of coastline resort villages the train visits along the way. Highlights include stops and hotel packages at Saint-Anne-de-Beaupré, Baie-Saint Paul, and La Malbaie. Trains operate seasonally. Telephone: +1 (844) 737-3282.
[/expand]
[expand trigclass=”noarrow trigger” rel=”class-one” title=”Yukon” tag=”h2″]
White Pass & Yukon Route
Carcross, Yukon – Skagway, Alaska
An engineering marvel, this Gold Rush era railroad climbs nearly 914 m (3000 ft) from Alaska’s glacial tidewater to White Pass Summit. Other excursions run from Fraser, Bennett and Whitehorse. Hiker services for Denver and Laughton Glaciers and Chilkoot Trail are available. Highlights include overnight camping add-ons. Trains operate seasonally. Passport required for some services. Telephone: +1 (800) 343-7373.
Whitehorse Waterfront Trolley
Whitehorse, Yukon
This circa 1925 yellow streetcar makes a series of stops along downtown’s Yukon River shore. Highlights include historical narrative by interpretive guides. Trains operate seasonally, Telephone: +1 (867) 667-6198.
[/expand]
