.gif) |
|
|
| Train
to Prince Rupert |
|
by
Tammy Lipke |
|
|
| Romance. Charm. Nostalgia. Modern-day
train travel is certainly gratifying. Gone are the days of
coal engines
and black smoke streaming across the sky. Until
fifty years ago, steam locomotives ruled the rails but now
it's the electric-diesel engine. But
the intrigue is
still
present, especially in scenic northern BC. |
 |
The train
rolls around the bend in Prince Rupert
 |
|
|
|
Recently, just for the adventure,
I went on a trip from Smithers to Prince Rupert via rail.
From the farms and lakes of the wide Bulkley River
valley to the steep, narrow Skeena River valley past the
granite
peaks
of the coast range of mountains, this is one of the most
scenic train trips in the world.
It’s
convenient to arrange - www.viarail.ca has
all the information about schedules, fares, and the option
to make reservations online. It’s an overnight trip,
short and sweet. In fact, I was only out of Smithers for
24 hours – twelve of them travelling by train. Like
I said, it really was just about the adventure. |
|
|
|
Everyone
gets settled in total comfort
|
|
Arguably the
ideal way to ride the train is in the
dome car – no walls, no ceiling to interfere with
the view. Just you, and the open sky. Dome travel, however,
is expensive.
For the rest of us, there’s Coach,
which is suitable to nearly any budget (full fare for
a typical family of four, round-trip, is approximately
$265.00,
including taxes, year round). Dome and Coach class both
offer an opportunity to see much of the coastal mountain
scenery
that is hidden
from the rest of the world.
|
|
|
|
|
