MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Canadian Pacific's brightly decorated Holiday Train returns to the rails in late November, raising food, money and awareness for food banks across North America. Last year, the Holiday Train helped raise more than $500,000 and 250,000 lbs of food and there is greater need this year.

"Canadian Pacific is proud to support communities where we operate, raising more than $4 million in funds and two million pounds of food in the Holiday Train's first decade," said CP President and CEO Fred Green. "Each year, the Holiday Train's message gets stronger and the impact on our employees and in communities becomes more meaningful."

At each stop, Canadian Pacific provides a brightly decorated train, a box car converted into a stage, great musical talent and a corporate contribution to the local food bank. The community, in turn, rallies together at this free event - donating food and funds, all of which stays in their community.

Noting that food shelf visits have grown by 40% this year in Minnesota, Second Harvest Heartland spokesperson, Joan Wadkins, praised the Holiday Train hunger relief outreach, adding that "half of those visits are from families with children, and many of them are first time users of the food shelf."

"The Holiday Train is a great treat for families, and a great partner in reminding us that some of our neighbors - particularly now - are actually missing meals." said Wadkins. Last year, the St. Paul stop generated more than $10,000 in donations, and more than $90,000 in grocery products delivered to hungry families.

A diverse array of musicians will headline the US Holiday Train stage this year. Join Prescott and Adam Puddington with their blend of country, rock and blues for the American tour. Blues-rocker Shaun Verreault lends his virtuosic vocals and guitar to the tour from November 28 - December 6. Genre defying Wisconsin singer/songwriter and guitar wizard Willy Porter rounds out the tour December 7 to 18.

"Across North America, wherever there are people who are in need of food, there are communities dedicated to feeding that need" said Verreault. "The Holiday Train helps communities help each other, not just during the holiday season, but year round and I'm honored to help supply the soundtrack to such an inspiring program."

Over 40 American cities, towns and villages will experience the Holiday Train spirit, starting in Scranton, PA on November 28 and concluding in Carpio, ND on December 17. For the first time, the US Holiday Train will visit South Dakota communities where the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad Corporation, a CP subsidiary, operates.

Complete schedule details, downloads, pictures and video for the 2009 Holiday Train can be found on www.cpr.ca

About Canadian Pacific:

Canadian Pacific, through the ingenuity of its employees located across Canada and in the United States, remains committed to being the safest, most fluid railway in North America. Our people are the key to delivering innovative transportation solutions to our customers and to ensuring the safe operation of our trains through the more than 1,100 communities where we operate. Come and visit us at www.cpr.ca to see how we can put our ingenuity to work for you. Canadian Pacific is proud to be the official rail freight services provider for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Editors please note: For detailed schedules, musicians' biographies and photos, a route map and downloadable pictures of the train, visit www.cpr.ca and click the Holiday Train icon.

    2009 CP Holiday Train Schedule - United States

    Schedule is subject to change
    All times are local

    Thursday, November 26
    New York
    Rouses Point - 11:00 p.m., Rouses Point Station

    Saturday, November 28
    Pennsylvania
    Scranton - 5:30 p.m., Steamtown Railroad Museum, Lackawanna Ave.

    New York
    Binghamton - 8:45 p.m., CP East Binghamton Rail Yard, Conklin Ave.

    Sunday, November 29
    New York
    Oneonta - 3:15 p.m., Gas Avenue railroad crossing
    Cobleskill - 6:15 p.m., Cobleskill Fire Department, 610 Main Street
    Delanson - 8:00 p.m., Main Street railroad crossing
    Schenectady - 9:30 p.m., Maxon Road

    Monday, November 30
    New York
    Saratoga Springs - 12:00 p.m., Amtrak Station
    Fort Edward - 1:45 p.m., Amtrak Station
    Whitehall - 3:15 p.m., Amtrak Station
    Ticonderoga - 5:00 p.m., Pell's Crossing, Amtrak Waiting Area, Route 74
    (Fort Ti Road)
    Port Henry - 6:30 p.m., Amtrak Station, West side stop
    Plattsburgh - 9:15 p.m., Amtrak Station

    Saturday, December 5
    Illinois
    Gurnee - 5:15 p.m., Viking Middle School Park, 4460 Old Grand Ave.

    Wisconsin
    Sturtevant - 7:00 p.m., New Amtrak Depot, 9900 E. Exploration Ct.
    Hartland - 9:30 p.m., parking lot adjacent to Cottonwood Ave. and Pawling
    Ave.

    Sunday, December 6
    Wisconsin
    Portage - 1:30 p.m., Amtrak Station, 400 West Oneida St.
    Wisconsin Dells - 3:00 p.m., Amtrak Depot, 100 La Crosse St.
    Mauston - 4:30 p.m., Division Street railroad crossing
    Sparta - 7:00 p.m., Corner of S. Water St. and Milwaukee St. (south side
    of the tracks).
    La Crosse - 9:15 p.m., Amtrak Station, 601 Saint Andrew St.

    Monday, December 7
    Minnesota
    Rochester - 12:45 p.m., end of 16th Avenue N.W., next to the Barlow
    Hy-vee Grocery Store
    Owatonna - 4:45 p.m., location to be announced
    Waseca - 7:15 p.m., location to be announced
    Janesville - 7:15 p.m., location to be announced

    Tuesday, December 8
    Minnesota
    Tracy - 1:15 p.m., location to be announced

    South Dakota
    Brookings - 5:00 p.m., location to be announced
    Huron - 9:30 p.m., location to be announced

    Wednesday, December 9
    Minnesota
    Springfield - 5:45 p.m., location to be announced
    New Ulm - 7:45 p.m., location to be announced

    Thursday, December 10
    Minnesota
    Austin - 11:15 a.m., location to be announced

    Iowa
    Mason City - 2:45 p.m., location to be announced
    Marquette - 9:45 p.m., Marina parking lot, north of Lady Luck Casino at
    Water St. & Hwy 76

    Friday, December 11
    Minnesota
    La Crescent - 2:30 p.m., The Commodore Food & Spirit Parking Lot, 215 S.
    Chestnut St.
    Winona - 5:15 p.m., Amtrak Station, 65 East Mark St.
    Wabasha - 7:15 p.m., Gambie Avenue railroad crossing by Bruegger Park
    Lake City - 9:00 p.m., Hearth & Home Technologies, 800 West Jefferson St.

    Saturday, December 12
    Minnesota
    Hastings - 4:15 p.m., CP Depot, 500 East Second St.
    Cottage Grove - 5:45 p.m., West Point Douglas Road, in front of the Youth
    Service Bureau
    St. Paul - 7:15 p.m., Central Parking System parkade ramp at Kellogg &
    Broadway in Lowertown
    Minneapolis - 9:30 p.m., CP Shoreham Yard, 2800 Central Avenue NE

    Monday, December 14
    Minnesota
    Loretto - 4:30 p.m., Hennepin County Road 19 railroad crossing/Chippewa
    Trail
    Buffalo - 6:00 p.m., 612 NE 3rd Ave., behind McDonald's on Highway 55
    Annandale - 7:30 p.m., West side of Downtown Park over Oak Ave. railroad
    crossing
    Eden Valley - 9:15 p.m., Main Street railroad crossing, State Highway 22

    Tuesday, December 15
    Minnesota
    Alexandria - 1:00 p.m., Eighth Ave. East railroad crossing by Hubbard
    Feed Mill
    Detroit Lakes - 4:30 p.m., Holmes St. railroad crossing near the Holmes
    Community Center
    Thief River Falls - 8:15 p.m., CP Depot near City Hall, 2017 Highway 59
    SE

    Wednesday, December 16
    Minnesota
    Elbow Lake - 4:45 p.m., Main Street railroad crossing

    North Dakota
    Hankinson - 7:00 p.m., American Legion parking lot, 122 1st St. (Main St.
    railroad crossing north side of track)
    Enderlin - 9:45 p.m., CP Depot, 101 Harvest Lane

    Thursday, December 17
    North Dakota
    Harvey - 4:30 p.m., CP Depot, 600 Lincoln Ave.
    Minot - 7:30 p.m., Main Street railroad crossing
    Carpio - 9:30 p.m., Main Street railroad crossing

    Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090427/TO591LOGO
    PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

SOURCE Canadian Pacific