Historical Society

Did You Know?

CPR Ends Passenger Service in Lethbridge

Fifty years ago, in 1971, the Canadian Pacific Railway ended passenger service in Lethbridge.

The service came to an end when dayliner service was cancelled. While passenger service had started with the railway arriving in Lethbridge in 1885, the first dayliner left Lethbridge in April 1955 and replaced old steam engines. In July 1971 both the Lethbridge-Calgary and the Lethbridge-Medicine Hat dayliner service ended. The CPR made the decision to end passenger service because it was considered uneconomical.

The two men who brought in the final trains were Lloyd “Miles” Roadhouse and Sam “Smoky” Shaw. Both of the men were retiring themselves along with the dayliner service.

Lethbridge Historical Society

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Photographs: Glenbow Archives, images of the last dayliner in 1971.