Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) has announced the itinerary for its Holiday Train for the 2023 season, including multiple stops in the Chicago metropolitan area. The Alberta-based freight railroad’s festive train will make three appearances in the region, offering free live music performances at each stop, though passengers will not be permitted to board.
The Holiday Train will begin its U.S. journey on November 23 in Franklin Park, Illinois, with a scheduled arrival at 5:30 p.m. at the Ruby Street railroad crossing. The Canadian band Magic! and singer MARIS will provide entertainment during the stop. The following morning, November 24, the train will pause for a performance in Pingree Grove at 9 a.m. at Railroad Street and Reinking Road, featuring the same artists. Later that day, the train will stop at noon in Byron, near Rockford, before continuing toward Iowa, making a later appearance in Davenport for residents of the Quad Cities.
Continuing its route south to Louisiana, the Holiday Train will return north to the Midwest for a final Illinois stop on December 8 in Gurnee. At 5:15 p.m., singer Allen Stone is scheduled to perform at Viking Middle School on Old Grand Avenue. Afterward, the train will proceed into Wisconsin and ultimately conclude its tour in Saskatchewan on December 20. CPKC operates similar holiday-themed trains across Canada and Mexico, underscoring its cross-border presence.
CPKC partners with local organizations such as food banks along the train route and encourages attendees to bring food or cash donations at each stop, continuing a charitable tradition also embraced by other regional holiday trains.
In Chicago, holiday train activities are a longstanding attraction. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates its own Holiday Train, which features Santa Claus riding on a special open-air car and agency employees dressed as elves. The CTA has not yet announced its plans for this year’s Holiday Train, which in previous years has run from late November until just before Christmas. The train typically travels all “L” lines and allows passengers to board like a regular service train. The CTA also runs a Holiday Bus featuring Santa, who sometimes emerges through the emergency hatch on the ceiling.
Metra, the regional commuter railroad, plans to release tickets for its holiday trains in mid-November, according to spokesman Michael Gillis. Unlike the CTA’s regularly accessible service, Metra’s Holiday Train requires special tickets, which have historically sold out extremely quickly, sometimes within seconds.
Additionally, the South Shore Line, connecting Chicago and northwest Indiana, has indicated plans to launch a holiday train for the first time this year, adding another festive offering for the region’s holiday rail enthusiasts.