For the last several years, Via Rail has been all about getting Canadians to consider the train for their travel needs. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, it’s making that a little bit easier.

Working with AOR Cossette, Via Rail melted down the truck from a train that had been removed from service after travelling more than six million kilometres, equivalent to over one thousand trips across Canada. The steel was then reforged into 40 train tickets. The steel tickets are part of the “Via40” contest, which gives 40 winners two cross-country return trips on a Via Rail train.

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Ann Bouthillier, chief communications officer at Via Rail, says the campaign idea is “steeped in symbolism,” as the carrier is literally using its past to “move forward towards a more sustainable future.” Besides fitting with its ongoing positioning of helping Canadians travel more easily, the campaign has a sustainability bent, as the train used to make the tickets would have otherwise been sent to a scrap heap.