The Rocky Mountaineer is an extremely successful example of a private sector tourist train, providing additional comfort that CABR can charge a premium for leisure travellers to experience Alberta’s exceptional mountain scenery by train.
The Rocky Mountaineer runs trains on the CPKC Rail freight lines. On-time performance is not a priority since the service is a tourism experience and not a practical mode of transportation. The longer passengers spend on the train the more time they have to experience the scenery and the luxury food and beverage services.
Rocky Mountaineer would not be able to afford to pay to build new infrastructure. The benefits of CABR exist because it is a practical and efficient transportation solution requiring significant new infrastructure investment which also provides a core public transit need. Premium fares charged for CABR’s premium services cross subsidize public transit services for Albertans and the infrastructure required to support them.
Nowhere in the world has the scale of infrastructure investment proposed by CABR been made without significant government financial support.