Iconic train gets a new name as it moves into new regions

Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer luxury train journeys through wild landscapes of Western Canada since the late 1980s and the Southwestern US since 2021 are on many a bucket list.

An artist’s rendering of a Canyon Spirit train making its way along the Red Rocks route.Credit:

Of the 2.3 million people who’ve travelled on these trains and its three routes, Australians comprise the third-largest share, with those travelling from Down-under on the Canadian routes for 2025 up 22 per cent on the previous year.

Now a new US route has been announced by Rocky Mountaineer operator Armstrong Collective as well as a name change to more clearly define its offerings in that part of North America.

Scene stealer … an artist’s rendering of the view from the Canyon Spirit.Credit:

Under the name Canyon Spirit, the train will run in the American south-west and expand with a Rockies to the Red Rocks route, to include Salt Lake City, Utah, starting in 2026. This new train route will connect Denver, Colorado with Salt Lake City over three days.

“We could not be more excited to bring our Canyon Spirit train to Salt Lake City, and to expand our Rockies to the Red Rocks route further into the beautiful state of Utah,” says Armstrong Collective chief executive Tristan Armstrong.

The new itinerary will include overnight stops in Glenwood Springs, Colorado and Moab, Utah. It will operate in addition to the existing two-day Rockies to the Red Rocks route, between Denver and Moab.

US route bookings from Aussies were 50 per cent up on the same time last year before the announcement of the new trip. Expect some updated bucket lists.

In response to the ongoing US-Canada trade war, Rocky Mountaineer says it will be business as usual.

“The trains will be travelling as scheduled for the 2025 season, and we look forward to welcoming guests from around the world onboard our trains,” it said in a statement.

The three-day rail journey, including overnight hotel accommodation, costs from $2123 a person. See thecanyonspirit.com