The long-anticipated opening day for the Rocky Mountaineer season has gone a little differently today than what would’ve been expected.

The luxury train operator says its guests travelled by motorcoach today from Vancouver to Kamloops. Company spokesperson Nicole Ford says guests will stay the night in Kamloops and will travel by rail to Banff tomorrow.

“Tomorrow morning will be our first train departure since we concluded our 2019 season, in October of 2019, and our team is incredibly excited to be back welcoming guests onboard our train,” Ford says.

Rail service is not operating between the coast and southern Interior right now, after the tragic wildfire in Lytton on June 30 which has destroyed much of the town and killed at least two people.

No one is allowed to travel through the village right now or enter it, unless for essential reasons. Officials say toxic smoke from burned buildings is a risk to the general public.

Ford says the Rocky Mountaineer is scheduled to have its first westbound train departure on July 7, leaving from Banff.

“We do not yet know if (this) will be impacted. We will continue to work with our rail partners to understand the situation and any further impact on our operations.”

In a normal year, the Rocky Mountaineer has an estimated economic spinoff for Kamloops as high as $50 million.

The company had to postpone its 2020 season several times before having to cancel the season, all as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It delayed its season start twice more for this year, settling on July 5 as an opening date. In B.C. and Alberta, many health restrictions and recommendations to limit travel between provinces have now been lifted.

The company’s season typically runs from April to October.