A Rocky Mountaineer train is en route to its destination in this undated file photo. The train will begin runs from Vancouver through Kamloops to Banff in July 2021 following the COVID-19 shutdown.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Rocky Mountaineer
June 16, 2021 - 8:28 AM
Rocky Mountaineer passenger trains were parked for a season, but as the province reopens, the travel company looks forward to a COVID-safe 2021 summer season.
The Rocky Mountaineer is planning to restart its operations on July 5 with a train from Vancouver to Banff, with one of many future stops in Kamloops included.
In their reduced July schedule, they will be bringing two trains into Kamloops each week, according Rocky Mountaineer communications manager, Tessa Day.
"There could be as many as 1,000 people on a train, arriving in Kamloops for an overnight hotel stay," Day said in an emailed statement to iNFOnews.ca. "Guests have the time to walk around the town, eat in the restaurants and drink in the bars and breweries."
The company brought 95,000 riders through B.C. and Alberta in 2019, during their mid-April to mid-October season.
"Pre-pandemic saw six Rocky Mountaineer trains arriving in Kamloops each week from April to October, generating more than $47 million in spending annually in Kamloops," Day said.
Train capacity will vary, as the company can add or remove cars to what's needed, but all guests and staff will undergo extensive health screening, including rapid COVID-19 tests.
Each car circulates fresh outside air throughout, and is equipped with an air filtration system, according to Day, to remove airborne viruses and bacteria.
She also said the Rocky Mountaineer has installed barriers between dining tables to separate travel groups.
A full schedule will be updated in August, which will bring six trains to Kamloops each week.
More information on trips and bookings can be found on the Rocky Mountaineer website here.
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