7 November 2010

From Driving The Last Spike to
Driving The Digital Railway

 

Canadian Pacific - Proud to Celebrate 125 Years
 
For 125 years, Canadian Pacific has been instrumental in the development of Canada applying ingenuity and innovation to support communities, businesses, and industry coast to coast.
 
The completion of the railway connecting east with west was an impressive feat of engineering and political will. The statistics are staggering:  over 4,800 kilometres of track was built, over 30,000 workers were employed, and $107 million was reportedly spent. The result was the coast to coast backbone of infrastructure that provided the vital economic engine to build a nation.
 
Along the way, CP built more than just a railway:
 
··· At 200 kilometre intervals along the rail line, Canadian Pacific Railway built rail stations around which towns developed. In the years before World War One, CPR invested much or more of its resources on immigration programs and land development, as did the federal government.
 
··· In 1882, Canadian Pacific Railway transmitted its first commercial telegram over telegraph lines they had erected alongside the tracks. This provided the infrastructure to enable cross-Canada communications including new developments in remote areas.
 
··· In 1916 CPR built the Connaught Tunnel in Rogers Pass, an 8 kilometre (5 mile) long tunnel under Mount Macdonald that was, at the time of its opening, the longest railway tunnel in the Western Hemisphere improving safety and reliability of rail transportation.
 
··· To encourage settlements and agriculture development, in the early 1900s CPR invested $40 million in an Alberta irrigation project including the Bassano dam, a 3.2 kilometre aqueduct at Brooks, more than 2,000 kilometres of irrigation canals, and established 762 ready-made farms in 24 colonies including houses, barns, sheds, fences, and farming tools.
 
··· At certain pristine locations, CPR built magnificent hotels to attract tourism and investments. CPR leadership was instrumental in lobbying the federal government to establish the first national park called Rocky Mountains Park later to be known as Banff National Park.
 
··· 1952 CP was first to pioneer "piggyback" service in train transportation in North America and reduce environmental impact through efficient mass movement of goods by rail.
 
··· In 1957 CP installed Canada's first Giant Computer, an IBM 705 considered to be one of the most powerful data processing systems available to proactively track data on productivity of trains and delivery of shipments.
 
On 7 Nov 2010, Canadian Pacific celebrates the 125th anniversary of the completion of Canada's transcontinental railway, a feat of innovation and engineering that linked a nation and built the Canadian economy.
 
Just as we drove the last spike in 1885, today we are driving the digital railway, putting state-of-the-art technology at the fingertips of our employees. Innovation and technology that is modernizing Canada's rail industry and the worldwide supply chain, is one the most environmentally friendly modes of transportation, and one that still moves the goods and commodities that Canadians rely on every day.
 
Our time-honoured CP ingenuity continues to deliver safe, reliable, and efficient transportation solutions across North America and has solidified us as a trusted partner for our customers, employees, and the communities in which we live and operate.
 
Join us in celebrating 125 years of innovation and see how CP is Driving the Digital Railway.

You could say the railway built the country. Browse through the photographic history of Canadian Pacific and see some of the engineering and technological feats that not only built the railway, but forged a nation.

Longer Trains bring Business and Consumers together. Our industry-leading Train Area Marshalling program utilizes advanced systems so we can safely build and operate longer, more efficient trains. Pioneering the innovative Distributive Power program, we have solidified ourself as a leader in long-train service.

Ahead of the Curve with Predictive Technology. Advanced surveillance technologies including digital imaging, GPS tracking, and digital sensors allow us to predict problems before they happen. Our predictive train and track inspection technologies have increased our fleet productivity and keep our communities safer.

Caring for the environment. Protecting the air we breathe and addressing global climate change are important issues to CP. Learn about some of our current and future efforts to address both and find out why rail is the one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transportation.