Rock and roll: An epic rail journey from Utah to Colorado

For someone whose definition of rail travel is clockwatching in a commuter carriage that bears a striking resemblance to the inside of a sardine tin, the idea of eight hours on a train doesn’t fill me with joy. That is, however, until I board Canyon Spirit. Here, on Rocky Mountaineer’s US counterpart, eight hours spent flitting between my reclining leather seat, the plush sofas in the adjoining lounge car and the open-air viewing area doesn’t feel long enough.

We roar along the rails, the scenery outside the expansive glass windows changing seamlessly from rugged canyon walls clad in dusty orange to racing rapids shrouded by fir trees and dotted with kayakers. Admittedly, I’ve not seen a great deal of classic Western movies, nor am I overly familiar with the likes of Butch Cassidy and his infamous trainrobbing peers, but as we trundle down the tracks through Utah and Colorado’s rocks, ravines and rivers, I almost feel I’ve been transported to the set of one of these iconic films, so breathtaking are the surrounds.

Before this trip, my travels to the US had been limited to California and Florida so, as I witness the arid desert plateaus and towering mountainscapes, I feel as if my eyes are opening to a whole new world. It’s quite apt, considering the journey I’m joining marks the start of a brand-new chapter for Canyon Spirit.

Fresh beginnings 

Renowned Canada-based luxury train operator Rocky Mountaineer first crossed the border into the US back in 2021 with the launch of its Rockies to the Red Rocks route, connecting the sandstone-studded plains of Utah’s Moab with the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado, via a stop in the mountain resort of Glenwood Springs. Now, the brand is gearing up to add a fourth stop to the itinerary: Salt Lake City.

The expanded, three-day programme is set to officially launch in April 2026 and will operate alongside the original two-day option, with one eastbound departure from Salt Lake City and one westbound journey from Denver per week. I board the train in Salt Lake City for an exclusive preview of the new extension and, as one of the first-ever passengers the operator has ferried along the stretch of track from the centre of Utah’s capital to its desert town of Moab, I feel pretty special.

And it’s not just the route that’s been updated – as of 2026, the train will be saying hello to a fresh name. While the original, Canada-based itineraries will still bear the iconic Rocky Mountaineer moniker, the US counterpart will be known as Canyon Spirit, taking on its own identity that reflects the rich variety of vistas the American southwest offers.