With Canadian National seeking to abandon part of its former BC Rail route between Squamish and 100 Mile House, B.C., Rocky Mountaineer has announced that 2026 will likely be the last season for its Rainforest to Gold Rush route.
Ever since CN first announced last year that it was considering discontinuing service on the line, many have assumed that Rocky Mountaineer would also suspend its run between Vancouver and Jasper via Prince George. However, Rocky Mountaineer officials had not formally commented on the matter until now.
The specific routes in question include the Squamish Subdivision from MP 43.0 at Thompson, B.C., to MP 157.6 at Lillooet, and the Lillooet Subdivision from MP 157.6 to MP 257.0, north of Edmond, B.C. In April 2020, CN abolished freight service on the Lillooet Subdivision, between Williams Lake and Lillooet, and the Squamish Subdivision between Lillooet and Squamish. The remaining traffic in Williams Lake and points north, destined for the Vancouver area, is routed via CN’s main line from Prince George. The seasonal Rainforest to Gold Rush is the only remaining through train on the line.
Rocky Mountaineer has operated on the line since 2006, two years after CN purchased the former BCR. What began as two routes — the one-day Whistler Sea to Sky Climb between North Vancouver and Whistler, and the two-day Fraser Discovery Route between Whistler and Jasper with an overnight stay in Quesnel — was combined into the three-day Rainforest to Gold Rush route in 2016.
“We are incredibly grateful to the partners, business owners, and residents in the communities of Whistler and Quesnel for welcoming our guests over the past 20 years,” said Tristan Armstrong, CEO of Armstrong Collective, which operates Rocky Mountaineer. “The Rainforest to Gold Rush route has been a majestic part of our company’s history, and we would be happy to return to the route if a long-term operator can be found to maintain the rail line. In the meantime, our team will ensure the welcoming spirit and warm hospitality of Rainforest to Gold Rush lives on through our other train journeys in Western Canada and in the American Southwest.”
Rocky Mountaineer was founded in 1990 and offers tour trains in the U.S. and Canada.
—Justin Franz
