Waiting for Christmas can be agonizing but although the holiday is weeks away, the spirit arrived right on time this week.

The Montreal West station was among the first of nearly 150 stops the CP Holiday Train will make in a three-week journey across the continent with one destination in mind.

"Everything about this is to raise money, food and awareness for food banks in North America," said Salem Woodrow.

To do that CP Rail puts on a show with nearly 1000 lights covering 14 rail cars.

At eac hstop a boxcar stage is set up for a live band, which on Thursday played French and English classics to raise spirits.

Bonnie Soutar of the NDG Food Depot said the donations are always needed, and even more so at Christmas.

"In NDG 25 percent live below the poverty line. Many families struggle on less than $20,000 a year. Very high rents. And the cost of living just keeps going up," said Soutar.

At each stop in Canada and the US the train will collect funds and donations, then turn them over to local charities.

CP Rail donated $5,000 to the NDG Food Depot., and then rolled on to its next stop in Beaconsfield.

On Friday the train makes multiple stops in Ontario before heading further west, making its final stop in Port Coquitlam, BC on Dec. 18, 2014.