Via Rail Canada The Rocky Mountaineer concept was created by Harry Holmes, a railroad engineer, and Pat Crowley, a tourism entrepreneur, both of
Jasper, Alberta. Together they developed a business plan which they presented to
Via Rail prior to Expo 86. It was designed as an all-sightseeing train pulled by
Canadian National steam locomotive No. 6060 in the Canadian Rockies. Originally, it began as a once-weekly
Via Rail Canada daytime service between
Vancouver,
Calgary, and Jasper. The first departure was on May 22, 1988, with a special train for the travel industry. Soon, another one was made for the traveling public on June 9, 1988, called the
Canadian Rockies by Daylight. To maximize scenic views, this service operated only during the day, with an overnight stop in
Kamloops. These were express services, with no intermediate stops. On June 4, 1989, Via began its second season of the service, renaming the service the
Rocky Mountaineer. The final summer
Rocky Mountaineer (under Via Rail branding) departed Calgary and Jasper was on October 12, 1989, and arrived in Vancouver on the 13th. Rocky Mountaineer was removed from schedules and marketing in May 1990. After two financially unsuccessful seasons, there was to be a change in approach. The Federal Government decided to see if the private sector could do a better job. The then
Minister of Transport and
Minister of Finance Michael Wilson decided to sell off the route, equipment, branding and book of business in the fall of 1989. In early November, advertisements were taken out in a number of newspapers soliciting interest in the Rocky Mountaineer.
Private operation of the Rocky Mountaineer The federal government curtailed the subsidies to Via Rail in 1989, dramatically reducing services (especially the transcontinental service).
Rocky Mountaineer was a tourist service, and as such the government felt the funds could be better spent on other higher priorities. They asked (at the time) Via Rail and CN Rail CEO Ron Lawless to organize the sale of the route, equipment and book of business to the private sector. Marketing for the Rocky Mountaineer sale began on November 12, 1989, and the process was overseen by recently retired CN executive Charles Armstrong. Submissions of interest demonstrating financial and operational capabilities were required by January 15, 1990. Initially there were 20 interested parties but after phase one of the bidding process, that group was reduced to three parties left to make a decision. One bidder was Westours Holland America, subsidiary of
Carnival Cruise Line. The other two were a group of Via Rail executives and a Western Canadian entrepreneur. In March 1990, following the bidding process, the route's equipment, book of business, 12 coaches, two baggage cars, along with various equipment and branding, were sold to Mountain Vistas Railtour Services Ltd., a subsidiary of Vancouver businessman Peter R.B. Armstrong's Armstrong Hospitality Group Ltd. The inaugural train journey took place on May 27, 1990. Following the success of its early operations, Rocky Mountaineer expanded its fleet and routes throughout the 1990s and 2000s. The company became a cornerstone of Canada's luxury tourism industry, drawing travelers from over 30 countries and contributing significantly to the economies of Western Canadian communities along its routes. ==Awards==