TRACK FACTS

Every day Canadian Pacific’s 12,000-plus employees work to keep their fleet of 1,000 freight trains going.

CP rail officers have the same power as Canadian police. They can arrest people and detain those who are a danger to themselves or the tracks.

Avalanches can take out whole swaths of forest. They can travel up to 300 km/h.

One cubic metre of ice weighs nearly a ton, meaning ice columns next to a railroad could derail a train or break a rail.

British Columbia’s Connaught Tunnel was built after 50 workers died from an avalanche in the early 1900s. At 8 km long, it’s the longest tunnel in North America and cuts through Mount Mcdonald.

At -25 C, train lengths need to be shortened, so cold weather is actually more challenging than snow.

Ninety-five per cent of grain exports in Canada travel by rail. One cart of grain can be worth as much as $30,000.

Ontario Northland Railway is one of the last flag trains in Canada. This means it will pick up passengers that flag them down as they make their way to or from Moosonee, Ont. ONR transports people and cargo, including kittens, ATVs, construction materials, hunting gear and even coffins.

A broken-down locomotive can cause massive delays and cost thousands of dollars. Locomotive engines can hold up to 15,000 gallons of fuel.