Watch Holiday Train Stop in Maine and Transform Into a Concert Stage

When the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railroad (CPKC) started doing business in Maine in 2020, they had big plans to put on a show for Mainers.

CPKC has a beautiful, custom Holiday Train that tours to locations throughout their route. From Calgary to Chicago and Montreal to Maine, this train is lit up with a light show like no other.

People wait at crossings and wave to the train as it rolls by, flying US and Canadian flags with spectacular light shows for the season.

The first time that the Holiday Train visited Maine was in 2022, and they made a return once again this year with a stop at Brownville Junction. As spectators stood by the tracks, the train slowly backed into the rail yard and come to a stop with lights flashing and music playing. Then, for many people, the unexpected happened.

The wall on one of the boxcars began to open up like a Transformer, turning itself into a concert stage with a band all set to play inside. Performing were singer-songwriter Virginia to Vegas and Trudy, a pop and folk singer-songwriter from Montréal. I'm still trying to figure out how they got in there.

I've loved watching trains ever since I was a kid, and wanted to make this trip to see the CPKC's Holiday Train, but unfortunately, their route only goes through the northern part of Maine. The Holiday Train makes stops in Jackman, Brownville, and Hermon, and all those stops were just too far for me to drive on a weeknight.

If you missed out, don't worry. The CPKC Holiday Train will be back next year, so plan ahead.