Canada to Mexico by steam in 2024
A FORMER CP steam locomotive is due to work a special train all the way from Canada to Mexico City in 2024.
The operation of the train will help mark the first anniversary of the successful merger of major Class 1 freight railroads Canadian Pacific (CP) and US/Mexicanbased Kansas City Southern (KCS) to form Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).
Made up of ‘business cars’ used by railroad executives, the train will be hauled by 4-6-4 ‘Hudson’ No. 2816.
The loco was built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1930 (works No. 68535) and after a period in preservation in the USA returned to CP in 1998 and was used for excursion trains until 2012. Since then, it has been stored in Calgary, but is now being prepared for its trip to Mexico next year.
The outline itinerary for the train has been announced. It will leave Calgary on April 14, 2024, and make stops in all three countries where the public will be able to see the train.
The planned stops are Moose Jaw (Canada), Minot, (North Dakota), St Paul (Minnesota), Bensenville (Illinois), Davenport (Iowa), Kansas City (Missouri), Shreveport (Louisiana) , Laredo (Texas) and finally Monterrey and Mexico City in Mexico.
More information is due to be published on the CPKC website in 2024.
The CPKC merger was designed to enable better connections between the three North American countries. This seems to be working as growth in containers by rail from Mexico to the USA and Canada this year is reported to be 30% higher than 2022.
CPKC has launched new services aimed at intermodal shippers branded ‘Mexico Midwest Express’, and Canadian National, which is CP’s only major domestic rival, has announced the introduction of better services linking Canada and Mexico, branded as ‘Falcon Premium’ and operated jointly with Union Pacific in the USA and Ferromex in Mexico.