Canadian Railroads > Gare Intermodale de Gaspe

There's a picture of the new station on the front page of the Gaspe english newspaper.

(Sorry.....link to the that photo is no longer available on the web page)

Looks like the new station wraps around the end of the tracks where the previous one was to the side. Says the station shoud be finished by February but passengers on the replacement bus service could be using it this month.

CBC news video clip of the construction here:

http://www.radio-canada.ca/audio-video/pop.shtml#urlMedia=http://www.radio-canada.ca/Medianet/2012/CJBRT/LeTelejournalEstDuQuebec201205031759_2.asx#

.....and if you listen to the interview with the VIA President here.....VIA is committed to extending the train from New Carlisle back to Gaspe as soon as the track upgrades are complete.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/ID/2304815769/



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/12 12:16 by ghCBNS.

This past week another RS-18 passed through Montreal on its way to the Gaspé. The unit #1865 came from a shortline in Mississippi and was ex-NBEC, ex-CP before that.

KG

Here's the Chaleur at the Gaspe Station back in September 1983.
(....and that's my Chevy Citation!)

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ghCBNS Wrote:
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> Here's the Chaleur at the Gaspe Station back in
> September 1983.
> (....and that's my Chevy Citation!)


My first car was a citation x-11!

Brian H.

Here's the station in 2007. Let's hope the trains return to fulfill the "intermodale" mission.

Dave

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VIA's president makes a lot of reference about downtown to downtown service and how they are trying to make service more convenient etc. Then a question is asked about how long a new train will take to travel from Quebec City to Ottawa. Answer given - 5 hours and 20 minutes.

After listening to the whole interview and how VIA is up against various competition, I still couldn't help to wonder - why not bring back a sleeper train between Quebec City - Montreal - and Toronto. Yes, perhaps it would be the Enterprise all over again, however, extend it up to Quebec City and have the train leave earlier from Quebec City and then overnight to Montreal (with a possible side trip to Ottawa) for early morning arrival into Toronto. You could serve an overnight market or a late evening coach market that other providers/competition may not be able to provide on a downtown to downtown service.....

jp1822 Wrote:
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> Then a
> question is asked about how long a new train will
> take to travel from Quebec City to Ottawa. Answer
> given - 5 hours and 20 minutes.


Which is about right. It’s 475km and currently trains are taking about 3hrs from Quebec to Montreal and 2hrs from Montreal to Ottawa. Then allow for the back-up move out to near the Victoria Bridge in Montreal to reverse. Some tweaking could probably get it to an even 5hrs.


> why not bring back a
> sleeper train between Quebec City - Montreal - and
> Toronto. Yes, perhaps it would be the Enterprise
> all over again, however, extend it up to Quebec
> City and have the train leave earlier from Quebec
> City and then overnight to Montreal (with a
> possible side trip to Ottawa) for early morning
> arrival into Toronto. You could serve an overnight
> market or a late evening coach market that other
> providers/competition may not be able to provide
> on a downtown to downtown service.....

A overnight train was tried as recently as 7 years ago and VIA can’t be faulted on this one for not trying.

The Enterprise was extensively marketed but there just doesn’t seem to be a market for overnight train travel anymore in the corridors. Fast day trains each-way....people want to be home in their own beds at night. Not in a hotel room....let alone a sleeper.

I received numerous discount coupons in VIA-1 for a sleeper one-way and return by fast afternoon train but it just didn’t work. The only times the trains were full was on Fri and Sun evenings and this was in coach. On days the Enterprise connected with the Canadian....you did have a few more in the sleepers, but not many.

Passengers on a Quebec City to Toronto ticket always had the option. The evening train with VIA1 service connected to the Enterprise in Montreal.

Now that several trains are running through Ottawa, an overnight service could be tried again especially on Fri and Sun nights. But I imagine it will be the coaches that are full. Sleeper passengers would have a very late boarding or very early arrival in Ottawa and I believe a set-out sleeper would be cost prohibited.

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> VIA's president makes a lot of reference about
> downtown to downtown service and how they are
> trying to make service more convenient etc. Then a
> question is asked about how long a new train will
> take to travel from Quebec City to Ottawa. Answer
> given - 5 hours and 20 minutes.
>
> After listening to the whole interview and how VIA
> is up against various competition, I still
> couldn't help to wonder - why not bring back a
> sleeper train between Quebec City - Montreal - and
> Toronto. Yes, perhaps it would be the Enterprise
> all over again, however, extend it up to Quebec
> City and have the train leave earlier from Quebec
> City and then overnight to Montreal (with a
> possible side trip to Ottawa) for early morning
> arrival into Toronto. You could serve an overnight
> market or a late evening coach market that other
> providers/competition may not be able to provide
> on a downtown to downtown service.....

I have lots of memories of the "Cavalier" being the essential overnight link in a Canadian rail trip. Short haul overnight sleeper trains haven't seemed to be able to make it, though: Spirit of California, North Star, Twilight Shoreliner, Niagara Rainbow, Enterprise, etc.

I think VIA will have all they can do to keep their existing trains running. With funding cuts I don't see them adding any trains.

ghCBNS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jp1822 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Then a
> > question is asked about how long a new train
> will
> > take to travel from Quebec City to Ottawa.
> Answer
> > given - 5 hours and 20 minutes.
>
>
> Which is about right. It’s 475km and currently
> trains are taking about 3hrs from Quebec to
> Montreal and 2hrs from Montreal to Ottawa. Then
> allow for the back-up move out to near the
> Victoria Bridge in Montreal to reverse. Some
> tweaking could probably get it to an even 5hrs.
>
>
> > why not bring back a
> > sleeper train between Quebec City - Montreal -
> and
> > Toronto. Yes, perhaps it would be the
> Enterprise
> > all over again, however, extend it up to Quebec
> > City and have the train leave earlier from
> Quebec
> > City and then overnight to Montreal (with a
> > possible side trip to Ottawa) for early morning
> > arrival into Toronto. You could serve an
> overnight
> > market or a late evening coach market that
> other
> > providers/competition may not be able to
> provide
> > on a downtown to downtown service.....
>
> A overnight train was tried as recently as 7 years
> ago and VIA can’t be faulted on this one for not
> trying.
>
> The Enterprise was extensively marketed but there
> just doesn’t seem to be a market for overnight
> train travel anymore in the corridors. Fast day
> trains each-way....people want to be home in their
> own beds at night. Not in a hotel room....let
> alone a sleeper.
>
> I received numerous discount coupons in VIA-1 for
> a sleeper one-way and return by fast afternoon
> train but it just didn’t work. The only times
> the trains were full was on Fri and Sun evenings
> and this was in coach. On days the Enterprise
> connected with the Canadian....you did have a few
> more in the sleepers, but not many.
>
> Passengers on a Quebec City to Toronto ticket
> always had the option. The evening train with VIA1
> service connected to the Enterprise in Montreal.
>
>
> Now that several trains are running through
> Ottawa, an overnight service could be tried again
> especially on Fri and Sun nights. But I imagine it
> will be the coaches that are full. Sleeper
> passengers would have a very late boarding or very
> early arrival in Ottawa and I believe a set-out
> sleeper would be cost prohibited.

Rode the Enterprise many times. Agree that its ridership seemed to be all over the map, and carried fewer riders than VIA was hoping for, and marketing for.

I do have personal experience while aboard the Enterprise a few times, on days it connected in Toronto with the Canadian and on days that it didn't. With two sleepers in tow - for those later trips before it got canceled - I will say that the train was pretty much well patronized in sleeper class during days it made its connetion with the Canadian - especially on Friday leaving Montreal.

However, the Enterprise went from a Budd consist (even with a Park Car) to a Renaissance consist where four sleepers were offered, and then reduced down to two sleepers. So it definitely was falling short of expectations. What surprised me was waking up in the morning to a packed coach class! But these were merely VIA's commuters getting into the city prior to the start of the work day!

The fault that I had for this train was that it didn't seem to go "far enough" in that it largely was built around a Montreal and Toronto market (plus early commuter traffic to both cities). VIA sought an Ottawa routing originally for the Enterprise, but it somehow did not materialize. Not sure of exact details.

But if this train was extended to originate/terminate in Quebec City, leaving perhaps around 6:00 p.m. for an overnight journey to Toronto via Montreal and Ottawa, this would put the train in Ottawa (westbound) around 11 p.m. and hopefully Toronto before 9:00 a.m. It would still have to do the "overnight lengthy eastbound stop" to make an early morning arrival at Toronto.

Leaving eastbound from Toronto, the overnight train's timing would be a bit more tricky if travelling all the way to Quebec City. It would probaby give up a passenger friendly calling hour at Ottawa, but aim to preserve a passenger friendly calling hour at Montreal and Quebec City. For example, latest arrival eastbound into Quebec City I think should be put before 10 a.m.

Again, this as just an idea that seemed to re-surface as I heard VIA Rail's President comment on the radio and his intent to focus on the corridor development in the wake of competition etc. The overnight train concept with sleepers would just be something the competition wouldn't necessarily be able to achieve. It would be the hotel on wheels and have to appeal to a certain market.

But overall, the Enterprise needed more than just schedule improvements......

The "transfer" from VIA1 class to/from Quebec City to the Enterprise was nice, but a one seat ride I am sure would be more appealing.

Daze Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think VIA will have all they can do to keep
> their existing trains running. With funding cuts
> I don't see them adding any trains.

Actually they are on December 10 (but not overnight services)

http://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/files/media/pdfs/About_VIA/our-company/media-room/backgrounders/BK20121203E%20Horaire_Ott-Tor-Qc_VF.pdf

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
...
>
> The fault that I had for this train was that it
> didn't seem to go "far enough" in that it largely
> was built around a Montreal and Toronto market
> (plus early commuter traffic to both cities).
...

The Enterprise lacked convenient connections in Toronto to London/Windsor and in Montreal to Quebec City. It arrived in both Toronto and Montreal too late to connect with the first trains, which meant passengers had to wait until approximately noon. Passengers travelling from Quebec to Toronto had a three-hour wait in Montreal. The wait in Toronto was reasonable for people travelling from London/Windsor to Montreal. The Enterprise could have arrived earlier in both Montreal and Toronto and sleeper passengers could have been permitted to remain on board until a reasonable hour (say 8:00), but an earlier arrival - especially in Toronto - would not have suited commuters.

Eastbound passengers boarding the Enterprise at points other than Toronto Union often experienced considerable delays on the three nights that a connection was made with the Canadian. In those days VIA would hold trains a reasonable time for connections, unlike now when passengers who miss connections must wait for the next train or, if none, be treated to a long bus ride. I was on board the Enterprise a few times when it left Toronto a couple of hours late due to a late #2. Passengers waiting to board in Guildwood or Oshawa were inconvenienced.

ghCBNS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> .....and if you listen to the interview with the
> VIA President here.....VIA is committed to
> extending the train from New Carlisle back to
> Gaspe as soon as the track upgrades are complete.
>
> http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/ID/2304815769/


Service for Halifax to Montreal being cut back, but service being restored to Gaspe, ASAP. Hmmm.....(not that returning service to Gaspe is a bad thing, but...)

Brian H.