BEST RAIL JOURNEYS

Snake through Canada on a wild rail journey from Vancouver to Banff to witness the region’s shifting landscapes. BEST RAIL JOURNEYS, WORDS: Stuart Forster

One day I chat with Ira, one of the train’s staff, about his favourite locations. He talks passionately about the line snaking alongside the river, through Kicking Horse Pass, into Yoho National Park. “I still get excited about seeing bears,” Ira adds, raising my hopes of seeing a grizzly. “That’s one of the things that I love about working here. If we see bears, I’m still as excited as my first day on board.” I notice we’re now following the sweep of the river in an otherwise desert-like landscape. Disturbed by the passage of the train, a bald eagle takes off from a boulder and soars low above the water. I completely forget about my empty seat a few carriages away.

HOW TO DO IT

The First Passage to the West Classic from Vancouver to Banff is available from £1,672.78 per person. rockymountaineer.com

sources: National Geographic Traveller UK , July 2018