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When Canadas inaugural transcontinental train trundled from Montreal into British Columbias

Port Moody in 1886, it practically and symbolically linked the countrys east and west for the

first time, triggering a golden age of high-speed rail travel that inspired thousands to explorethe fledgling nation.

Related article: The wonders of Canada by rail

Today aeroplanes have raced ahead in the speed stakes, but meandering train journeys are still

one of the most immersive ways to explore the worlds second-largest country.

Animal magicCarrierVIA Railruns almost 500 trains each week on dozens of year-round routes, including its

flagship transcontinental Toronto-to-Vancouver service. And while some are busy commuter

lines, others are off-the-beaten-track gems that are well-worth connecting to.

From big-city Montreal to the Atlantic-facing Nova Scotia capital of Halifax, the 1,346kmOcean

serviceis an almost 24-hour trip. After an overnight trundle northeast through the forests ofQuebec, the route threads through historic shoreline settlements in the provinces of NewBrunswick and Nova Scotia, both known for their seafaring locals, fresh seafood and hundreds of

welcoming small communities. Outside the windows, there are views of the regions signature

bright-painted wooden homes, striped lighthouses and excellent birdlife, including plovers,curlews and an osprey or two.

Much larger wildlife is the focus of VIAstwo-day sleeper servicebetween the central Canadiancities of Winnipeg and Churchill. The 1,700km Winnipeg-Churchill line heads north from the

Manitoba capital, easing through lake-studded woodland tundra towards the remote, sub-arctic

northern region. Passengers are typically rewarded at their final destination with sightings of

beluga whales in the Churchill River or wandering polar bears, which amble through snow-covered Churchill in October and November.

Deer, elk and bearsof the black or grizzly varietyare common sightings out west on the

Jasper to Prince Rupert route.The spectacular two-day journey, known by locals as the Rupert

Rocket, winds 1,160km from Albertas towering Rocky Mountains through a British Columbia

lake-and-forest landscape dotted with tiny pioneer communities such as McBride andVanderhoof.

The vintage train is part of the lines charm. Its stainless steel, streamlined carriages were built inthe 1950s, so it feels like riding in a well-maintained museum exhibitespecially in the

observation car, where the upper level glass-ceilinged seating area is perfect for watching thevast wilderness unfold. Do not forget to quiz the chatty attendants; they have plenty of evocative

stories about the region and its colourful characters, including an 80-year-old local who has beensingle-handedly renovating an old sawmill in the bush here for years.

Luxe linesNorth Americas largest privately owned train company, Vancouver-basedRocky Mountaineer,

operates several multi-day scenic routes from April to October. Like a cruise ship on rails, the

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upscale service is warm and friendly, passengers dine in style and sleeper cabins are swapped for

overnight stays in hotels en route.

Snaking through western Canadas jaw-dropping mountain terrainsusually at a pedestrian,

camera-friendly pace known onboard as Kodak speed passengers spend much of their time

glued to the windows as the trains inch around steep clifftops and across slender, dramaticallylofty trestle bridges. Multi-day services includeFirst Passage to the West,which retraces part of

the original rail route that first linked the country back in the 1880s; and the newCoastal

Passage,which links the region to south-of-the-US-border Seattle for the first time in companyhistory.

For those short on time, the company also operates ahalf-day tripfrom North Vancouver toWhistler. Running alongside Howe Sounds shimmering coastline before snaking inland through

river-veined mountains, the route brings visitors to British Columbias most popular resort town,

excellent for winter skiing and snowboarding, plus there is amenu of outdoor summer action

from ziplining to river rafting.

Top of the luxury tree is theRoyal Canadian Pacific.Based in Alberta and as close as Canada

gets to an Orient-Express-style train, the companys walnut-panelled 1920s carriages are pulledby restored 1950s locomotives. Running every summer on its signature Rocky Mountain route,

passengers sleep in antique staterooms and indulge in multi-course fine dining. On a six-night

loop to and from the city of Calgary, the train snakes alongside rugged cowboy-countrylandscapes of wide meadows framed by sharp-cragged peaks.

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