Winnipeg-Thompson-Churchill
The train to Churchill is perhaps one of Canada’s best known trains.
The journey takes up to 24 hours to complete, starting in Winnipeg in the Canadian Prairies, heading up through Thompson, through the Arctic Tundra, and into Churchill on Hudson Bay.
Churchill is home to Polar Bears and Beluga Whale watching, and is a great way to experience Northern Canada.
Churchill, among several other stops along the way, is only accessible by train, plane, or sometimes boat.
The train also makes a slight detour into the neighboring Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
You can also drive up to Thompson, and catch the train from there, leaving you with a much more manageable 12 hour journey, especially for economy class passengers. This is what I did.
The train itself is an old 1940s Bud Company car hauled by a locomotive. Views along the way may include the northern lights if you are lucky. The surrounding scenery itself isn’t the prettiest, but there are a few rivers along the route.
Via Rail, Canada’s national railway company sells tickets for the route and the train runs twice a week. The train is operated by Via Rail but the tracks are owned by a local Indigenous-owned company.
Fares can be as low as $120 round trip if you are lucky. Via Rail uses dynamic pricing.
On time performance has significantly improved since the Indigenous owned company took over operations from an American company following disrepair and damage from flooding in the 2010s.
Food is available for purchase in the dining car/observation car.
The Pas – Pukatawagan
The Keewatin Railway company operates a train from The Pas to Pukatawagan twice a week.
Information about the route is scarce online.
I did not travel the route, however, I did visit the station in The Pas and spoke to a few locals who did take the train.
The train takes a full day to travel the route. The ride costs about $300 round trip (verification needed.)
Stops are made at Sherridon and Cranberry Portage along the way.
Pukatawagan is an incredibly remote First Nations reserve accessible by Winter Road, Train or Airplane only.
You can, technically speaking, take Via Rail’s Churchill train from Winnipeg to The Pas, and then transfer to the Pukatawagan train. I would not recommend this.
Space on the train is known to be limited, even if you paid for a fare ahead of time. Locals constantly compete to catch a seat on the train, so expect to miss the train in peak times. I have been told there is no guaranteed entry on the train.
(You snooze, you lose)
Few, if any, tourists take this train.
More Information
The Canadian – Toronto to Vancouver
The Canadian makes a stop in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie.
More information about the Canadian will be updated in a separate article.
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