This Week’s Historical Highlights

Explore significant moments from Canadian railway history and notable events from Canada’s past. This page features milestones and stories that helped shape the nation.

1970, April 21

Canadian Pacific unveils Canada's first double-deck passenger train comprising nine air-conditioned cars built by Canadian Vickers Limited at a cost of $2.8 million. The cars went into operation April 27 on the Montreal Lakeshore suburban service.

1933, April 21

London, Midland and Scottish Railway (UK) 4-6-0 steam locomotive Royal Scot arrives in Montreal with eight passenger cars en route to the Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago. It was exhibited at the following cities (numbers in brackets show numbers of visitors).
May 1 - Montreal Windsor Station (16,979); May 2 - Ottawa (11,870); May 3-4 - Toronto Exhibition Grounds (20,687); May 4 - Hamilton (3,631).
The train then ran via the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway through US cities to Chicago. After the exhibition, it left Chicago October 11 and ran via the US to Vancouver:

1977, April 22

the Turbo train achieves a speed of 140.6 mph/226.2 kph near Morrisburg, Ontario on the Canadian National Kingston subdivision, a Canadian rail speed record

1955, April 24

Canadian Pacific inaugurates its new stainless steel, scenic-domed transcontinental passenger train "The Canadian" between Montreal/Toronto and Vancouver.

2009, April 24

Canadian Pacific ceases to use the Ottawa Valley Railway Chalk River and North Bay subdivisions for its transcontinental trains and routes all such traffic from Montreal via Toronto.

1960, April 25

Locomotive number 6043 makes the last scheduled run of a steam locomotive on Canadian National on train 76 between The Pas and Winnipeg.

1875, April 26

First scheduled train over the Prince Edward Island Railway from Charlottetown to Georgetown.

1930, April 27

two way telephonic communication on a moving train is inaugurated on the "International Limited" between Montreal and Toronto.