Holiday train rolls back into Springwater after last year’s cancellation

The CPKC Holiday Train. (Photo: X@calgarytransit)

The sights and sounds of the holiday season will soon return to Springwater with the glow of thousands of colourful lights and the rhythm of live music echoing down the tracks.

After skipping this stop last year, the CPKC Holiday Train is officially coming back to Anne Street North and Wenden Court this winter, to delight families and food banks.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) announced its decked-out Holiday Train would once again tour across Canada and the United States from Nov. 19 to Dec. 21, raising food, funds, and awareness for community food banks along its route. The train features professional musicians performing free concerts from a stage that folds out of its brightly decorated railcars, drawing huge crowds at every stop.

"Since its inaugural journey in 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more than $26 million and collected approximately 5.4 million pounds of food for community food banks in Canada and the U.S.," the company said in its release.

The Springwater stop on Nov. 30 at 12:30 p.m. marks a return after disappointment last year, when the Township announced safety concerns forced its 2024 cancellation. The Township cited “heightened safety concerns,” including parking issues and increased turnout along Highway 26 as key factors in the decision.

The pause gave organizers time to prepare for a safer, more accessible setup for this year.

This year’s Springwater return will feature Canadian Country singers Jade Eagleson and Teigen Gayse.