By Railfan & Railroad Staff

CALGARY — The Canadian Pacific will run its popular Holiday Train for the first time since 2019, and it will cover the former Central Maine & Quebec for the first time following the Class I’s acquisition of the regional road. 

CP opted to host a “virtual” Holiday Train in 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic. Since its inception in 1999, the CP Holiday Train has raised $21 million and collected 5 million pounds of food for community food banks along CP’s network in the U.S. and Canada. 

“I’m grateful to the CP team members who adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver two exceptional virtual Holiday Train shows and to all those who continued to donate while we kept community members safe,” said Keith Creel, CP’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The Holiday Train is all about families and communities coming together to celebrate the season and help those in need. We are excited to be back out on the rails and in our communities, taking these two beautiful trains across our network and sharing the joy that comes with gathering in the spirit of giving.”

During the tour, two trains criss-cross the system, one focusing on the U.S. and another on Canada. The trains stop in various towns along the route and notable musicians put on a performance for 30 minutes to an hour. 

The 2022 tour will launch on November 23, with the Holiday Train’s first-ever Maine shows in Jackman, Brownville Junction and Hermon. Also for the first time, the Holiday Train will host shows on November 24, in Lac-Megantic, Sherbrooke and Farnham, Que., the first Canadian stops of 2022. The tour will feature 168 live shows in total. A full schedule is available at cpr.ca/holidaytrain.