The brightly decorated train, lit up with hundreds of thousands of LEDs, wrapped up its 2025 tour on December 21 after visiting communities from coast to coast.
The concept is simple and joyful: a 1,000-foot train pulls into town, a stage door drops down from one of the boxcars, and professional musicians perform free concerts while the whole train glows with holiday lights. Towns gather, enjoy the music, and bring donations for their local food banks.
This year's tour featured 196 performances across six Canadian provinces and 13 U.S. states between November 19 and December 21. Artists like Barenaked Ladies, Smash Mouth, and Tyler Shaw performed from the train's mobile stage, mixing holiday classics with their own hits.
Since the program started in 1999, the Holiday Train has raised more than $26 million and collected 5.4 million pounds of food for community food banks. Every donation stays in the local community where it's given.
"Every year, our railroaders take great pride in bringing the Holiday Train across our network," said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. "It's incredible to see communities come together every year to celebrate the holidays while supporting local food banks."
The 2025 tour reached 13 new communities for the first time, including stops in Maine, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. After 23 years, CPKC retired the separate Holiday Express equipment but kept its beloved Rudy the reindeer mascot alive through a special light mural on the main train.
The Holiday Train shows what railways can do beyond moving freight – bringing people together, supporting communities, and creating memorable moments during the festive season. Not bad for a cargo train dressed up for Christmas.
