The CPKC Holiday Train is a Canadian Christmas tradition that makes stops in Agassiz, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam.
The train travels across Canada and the United States from late November until around mid-December. At each stop there is a free concert and an opportunity to support local food banks. In 2025 the featured band at all BC locations is the Bare Naked Ladies.
TIP: The event in Port Coquitlam takes place on Saturday, December 20th. The train arrives at 6:45 pm. Before that, however, there are free, family-friendly activities at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre between 4:00 and 6:30 pm (including the showing of the movie “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”. For full details about that event, see the City of Port Coquitlam‘s website.
Holiday Train Concerts & Fundraising Events
The CPKC Holiday Train has been a Christmas tradition of the Canadian Pacific Railway for more than 25 years. The event requests donations of cash or food. Non-perishable food items or amounts of cash are accepted. It’s a fun event supporting a great cause, so please donate generously.
Since its first run in 1999, the Holiday Train has raised more than $26 million and collected over 5.4 million pounds of food for food banks across North America. Last year alone, the train raised over $1.7 million and collected more than 130,000 pounds of food. At every stop, CPKC gives to the local food bank and encourages guests to donate food items or cash.
At its events, the train arrives at a designated time. The doors on one of the cars open to reveal the stage from which the band performs. After an initial song or two, there is a brief ceremony with local VIPs who welcome everyone and encourage them to donate to the local food bank. The band then plays some more music. After about 30 minutes total, the concert ends, the stage’s train car’s doors close, and the show on wheels departs for its next destination.
The CPKC Holiday Train is about 1,000 long and includes the engine, caboose and a dozen or so other rail cars decorated with festive LED lights and other decor.
Free Live Music from the CPKC Train
Each stop features a live concert by professional musicians performing on the train’s stage. Shows are free, family-friendly and last about 30 minutes.
In 2025 the band is the Bare Naked Ladies. Last year there were two different featured artists. MAGIC! & Sofia Camara performed at each stop in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Other past artists in recent years have included Tyler Shaw & Kiesza in 2023 and MacKenzie Porter & Virginia to Vegas in 2022. In 2019 there was Alan Doyle & his Beautiful Band and in 2018 it was the Sam Roberts Band.
CPKC Holiday Train in 2025
In addition to its usual Canadian visits, the 2025 Holiday Train has stops in the United States including in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.
To accommodate the expansion of the tour, the old Holiday Express equipment is being retired after 23 years. Honouring its legacy, “Rudy†the reindeer engine will appear in lights as part of the new Holiday Train’s design. Also in 2025, there are two trains instead of just one. This is so it can visit more places. This year the CPKC Holiday Train brings its concerts to 116 communities in Canada and another 80 or so in the US.
Lower Mainland Stops
The CPKC Holiday Train traditionally makes five stops in the Lower Mainland each December. They take place over two days. In 2025 the train is in Agassiz, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows on Friday, December 19th. It’s also in Port Moody and Port Coquitlam on Saturday, December 20th. Below are full details about this year’s schedule.
Agassiz on December 19th, 2025
The first Lower Mainland stop of the CPKC Holiday Train is outside the Agassiz Agra Centre on Pioneer Avenue on the Friday before Christmas. The event runs from 5:45 to 6:15 pm.
Food and cash donations at this location usually benefit the Agassiz-Harrison Community Services Society.
Maple Ridge on December 19th, 2025
The CPKC Holiday Train visits Maple Ridge by the Port Haney West Coast Express train stop across from Billy Miner Pub at 22355 River Road.
The event takes place in Maple Ridge from 8:00 to 8:30 pm on December 19th (shortly after the event in Agassiz). There are also other activities earlier in the evening.
Donations collected at this location have in the past benefitted the local Friends in Need Food Bank (and that will likely be the case again in 2025, although exact details are to be confirmed).
See our article about the CPKC Holiday Train in Maple Ridge to learn more about this event.
Pitt Meadows on December 19th, 2025
The Pitt Meadows event takes place at the railway crossing at the West Coast Express Station at the corner of Harris Road and Advent Road. The location is near the Pitt Meadows Museum General Store at 12294 Harris Road and the event takes place from 9:05 to 9:35 pm on December 19th. That is just after the train’s stop in Maple Ridge on the same night.
Donations of cash and food in Pitt Meadows have in the past benefitted the Friends in Need Food Bank (and that will likely be the case again in 2025, although exact details are to be confirmed).
Port Moody on December 20th, 2025
The CPKC Holiday Train visits Port Moody behind the Rec Centre at 300 Loco Road beginning at 5:45 pm on December 20th. The train stays for half an hour and then departs at about 6:15 pm.
In previous years the festivities in Port Moody have run for an extra couple of hours. There have been bonfires, craft activities, carol singing and other events to enjoy nearby on the same evening. This will likely be the case again in 2025, although exact details are to be confirmed.
See our article about the Port Moody Event for more information about the evening activities.
Port Coquitlam on December 20th, 2025
Port Coquitlam also gets its CPKC Holiday Train visit on December 20th (shortly after the concert in Port Moody). The train is at the Port Coquitlam West Coast Express Station at 2125 Kingsway Avenue from 6:45 until 7:15 pm.
In addition to the concert and festivities with the train, there are other free, family-friendly activities on the same day. Between 4:00 and 6:30 pm there are craft activities and a Christmas movie at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre at 2159 Wilson Avenue.
To learn more about this event, see our article about the CPKC Holiday Train in Port Coquitlam or visit the portcoquitlam.ca website.
What to Expect at the CPKC Holiday Train Events
At each stop of the CPKC Holiday Train, you can expect to see a few thousand people and train cars with Christmas lights. The train pulls up, the stage door lowers, the musicians get ready, and then the music plays for about 30 minutes.
During the event, partway through the selection of Christmas-themed tunes, there is an official welcome and presentation by local dignitaries and people from the local food bank.
Lasting around 30 minutes from start to finish, the events are pretty small and short, but they are fun and the music is great.
The Holiday Train itself is approximately 1,000 feet long and consists of two GP20C 2200 series locomotives. The train’s more than 12 rail cars are decorated with Christmas LED lights. You can’t go on the locomotive, but it’s exciting to see.
Don’t forget to take non-perishable food items and/or cash to donate to your local food bank if you attend the event!
CPKC Holiday Train Christmas Video
Below is a video of the CPKC Holiday Train in 2018. The scene is of the train and its cars just after its concert with the Sam Roberts Band and just before it departed for its next stop in Port Coquitlam.
Tips & Advice
Below are some tips to help you make the most of your CPKC Holiday Train experience.
TIP #1: Take a food or cash donation as local food banks benefit directly.
TIP #2: Arrive early for the best view as concerts are short and popular. Also, in most cases, there are extra activities prior to the arrival of the train.
TIP #3: Dress for the weather. The shows are outdoors and take place rain or shine.
Other Information
See the CPKC Holiday Train website for more details about the events.
For information about the train’s events in the Lower Mainland, see our articles about the CPKC Holiday Train in Maple Ridge, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam.
Check out the following for ideas on other things to do:
