The Rocky Mountaineer is expecting to return to regular operations today, August 27, after a week of disruptions due to the wildfire situation in British Columbia.

The luxury train company had to cancel some of its trains, which make an overnight stop in Kamloops, due to the provincial government’s order that restricted tourism-related travel to six Interior communities to make room for evacuees and first responders.

“The BC government announced the emergency order will be lifted for Kamloops and several other communities on August 23. With this news, we are working around the clock to undo the alternate travel plans we put in place in response to the order,” Rocky Mountaineer said.

“This will take a few days as we reposition the trains and rebook hotels for upcoming departures.”

Aug 20, 12:30pm – An update from the @rmountaineer due to wildfires and the restrictions on non-essential travel put in place on Aug. 19.

Some trains aren’t operating because of track closures in the #ChaseBC area. #Kamloops #Shuswap pic.twitter.com/yPZBExzuFq

— Victor Mario Kaisar (@supermario_47) August 20, 2023

Guests on the Journey through the Clouds route from Vancouver to Jasper – which resumed operating on Thursday, August 24 – were being put up in either Kamloops or Sun Peaks once the ban on non-essential travel was lifted.

Trains on the First Passage to the West route from Vancouver to Lake Louise/Banff are set to being operating today, August 27. Passengers on the August 24 train to Vancouver and the August 25 train from Vancouver were given the option to travel by bus with an overnight stop in Revelstoke or reschedule their trips to a future season.

“The restrictions imposed by this government order are a force majeure event beyond the control of Rocky Mountaineer,” a statement from Rocky Mountaineer said. “In keeping with those provisions, we are allowing affected guests to rebook their travel to a later date, once the force majeure event has passed.”

“Our thoughts are with all those impacted during these difficult times and we are grateful for the tireless efforts of the firefighters across the province. We are doing all we can to support our guests, team members, and communities as the situation evolves.”

In Canada, the Rocky Mountaineer relies heavily on international tourists with an estimated economic spin-off of nearly $50 million in Kamloops in a normal year.

The Rainforest to Gold Rush route – which stops in Whistler and Quesnel – and the U.S.-based Rockies to the Red Rocks routes were not impacted by the restrictions.

People with Rocky Mountaineer bookings can find more information, including contact details here.