Wounded Soldiers from Around the World Board Rocky Mountaineer for a Life Changing Trip

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Oct. 1, 2013) -

Editors Note: A photo for this release is available on the Canadian Press picture wire via Marketwired.

Five wounded soldiers/veterans and their families from Canada, the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, boarded the inaugural journey of Rocky Mountaineer's annual Life Changing Train for Heroes this morning.

Over 600 attendees, including guests, Rocky Mountaineer employees and partners, celebrated the launch of the program and honoured the deserving heroes with a special ceremony just before the train pulled out of the station for an inspiring journey through BC and the Canadian Rockies.

Two Canadian soldiers (John Lowe from Cloverdale, BC and Paul Bornn from Ottawa, Ontario) are taking part in the Life Changing Train for Heroes journey.

The soldiers and their families were led to the Rocky Mountaineer station by a Vancouver Police Department escort, before being received by members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, dressed in their famous Red Serge. After an emotional presentation led by Rocky Mountaineer President and CEO Randy Powell, and a tribute to the heroes, the wounded soldiers/veterans and their families boarded the train and took part in a historic "all aboard call."

About the Life Changing Train for Heroes

The Life Changing Train for Heroes is an annual program that recognizes and honours individuals and organizations that have made a significant impact on the lives of others. To celebrate the chosen heroes, Rocky Mountaineer will be taking them on a rail journey through Western Canada. The new initiative will provide inspiration to those who have selflessly given so much to help others as well as the families who supported them along the way. It will also raise awareness for the organizations that continue to provide assistance and encouragement.

This year, Rocky Mountaineer has partnered with organizations from all over the world that are dedicated to helping and supporting wounded soldiers/veterans. The heroes arrived in Vancouver on September 30 and will travel onboard the Rocky Mountaineer through BC and the Canadian Rockies with an overnight stop in Kamloops, BC. The trip ends in Lake Louise, Alberta on October 3, 2013.

For more information on Rocky Mountaineer's Life Changing Train for Heroes, please visit www.rockymountaineer.com/heroes. To learn more about our heroes and follow them on their life changing journey, go to @rmountaineer on Twitter and use #HeroesTrain. You may also become a fan on Facebook at Rocky Mountaineer or for our latest videos, go to our YouTube channel at rmountaineertrain.

About Rocky Mountaineer:

Rocky Mountaineer offers over 45 vacation packages and five unique rail routes, rich in history and natural wonders, through the Pacific Northwest and Alberta. This world-renowned, luxurious train travels by daylight through the wild beauty of Canada's West and is considered by many as the only way to experience the majestic Canadian Rockies. Since its inception in 1990, the company has grown to become the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America and has welcomed more than one and a half million guests from around the world. Rocky Mountaineer has received numerous international awards and accolades for service excellence. Most recently, the company received its seventh World Travel Award as, "World's Leading Travel Experience By Train" and has been recognized by National Geographic as one of the "World's Greatest Trips."