July 15-16, 2023.
Footage along Canadian National's Albreda Subdivision through Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies of western Alberta.
The Albreda Subdivision is part of CN's east/west transcon mainline, with heavy rail traffic between Toronto, ON and Vancouver, BC, along with traffic for Prince Rupert, BC. The town of Jasper, AB is a division point between the Albreda and Edson Subdivisions. Traffic heading towards Prince George or Prince Rupert split off onto the Tête Jaune Subdivision near Rad Pass, BC.
In this video, several CN freight trains are seen west of Jasper, along with VIA Rail Canada and the Rocky Mountaineer. VIA Rail Canada's east and westbound "Canadian" were both seen during the morning hours, and the eastbound "Skeena" made an appearance later on that afternoon. The next morning, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer left Jasper, heading back to Vancouver via Kamloops.
VIA's "Canadian" runs between Toronto, ON and Vancouver, BC twice weekly. The Canadian is the last true streamliner in North America, with the entire 20-car train consisting of 1950s era streamlined cars, primarily of Canadian Pacific heritage. F40PH locomotives have also become a rare sight over the past couple decades. VIA Rail Canada has announced a long-term plan to replace aging cars and locomotives, so the days of a true streamliner across Canada may gradually be coming to an end.
VIA Rail Canada & Rocky Mountaineer timestamps in this video:
- 06:28 - VIA 2: eastbound Canadian
- 08:31 - VIA 1: westbound Canadian
- 10:52 - VIA 2: seen again east of Jasper
- 14:40 - VIA 6: eastbound Skeena
- 42:40 - P609: westbound Rocky Mountaineer
- 44:00 - P609: westbound along Moose Lake
CN train symbols and destinations listed in this video are based on research, so some symbols may not be correct. CN radio communications were hard to pick up, so never heard any confirmed symbols.