I found an interesting paper titled "The Kicking Horse Pass
Problem" by Werner E. Kluge of the University of Kiel in Germany.
["
http://www.informatik.uni-kiel.de/~wk/kick.ps"]
Mr. Kluge studied ways to increase traffic on the line. He wrote
that it takes about one hour for a train to traverse the 15-mile-long
single-track Kicking Horse Pass section between Field and Stephen
(Lake Louise). The section includes two sidings (Patridge and
Cathedral) positioned on either side of the two spiral tunnels on
the Pass.
Mr. Kluge wrote that the current traffic load was about 30 trains per
day (15 each way). He showed that it is possible to fleet three trains
per hour through the Pass, without using sidings, if they are
travelling in the same direction. When the fleeting direction is
changed, no trains can enter the Pass for one hour, but up to
36 trains per day can cross this way nonetheless. If the sidings
are used for meets, up to 48 trains can cross in a day.
None of this answers my original question, but it seems to
suggest that more than 15 trains cross Kicking Horse Pass daily.
In addition, CP Rail's annual report indicated that this section
carried more than 45 MGT per year - an amount consistent with
something more than 24 trains per day on average.
- Ed Kyle