Canadian Railroads > VIA 1 & 2 Recent OT Performance?

If you have accurate information about arrival times for The Canadian at Vancouver and/or Toronto during the past month or two, please post it here.

Thank you.

We arrived Vancouver on #1 on 9/29/14 at ~20:17.

I can't be accurate because I haven't made notes, but can give you an approximation of the recent arrivals of #2 in Toronto based on my personal recollection or what I've been told by VIA personnel. Tuesday the 7th Oct - 6:30 p.m. (9 hours late); Saturday the 4th, 3:30 p.m.; either Tuesday 30th Sept. or Thursday 2nd Oct. was also 3:30p.m. A week or so before there was an arrival at 7:30 p.m. and one about 1:30 p.m. It has been a while since #2 has been on time or even close to it.

Thanks to both of you. I thought that this far into the year the train's chronic lateness might have been resolved, but it looks like that has not happened.

Yesterday, GO Transit's afternoon service bulletin indicated that a couple of evening outbound commuter trains to Richmond Hill were delayed due to a VIA train occupying the (single) track line in the opposing direction.....No 2 is scheduled to arrive around 0930, so that's easily an eight hour delay.

- Paul

stuporchief Wrote:
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> Thanks to both of you. I thought that this far
> into the year the train's chronic lateness might
> have been resolved, but it looks like that has not
> happened.

With winter coming, the lateness may not get any better. My last winter trip was in March of this year. The weather didn't appear to have any impact on the 15 hours late arrival in Toronto. (At Capreol the train was 16 hours late.) Most of the delays were simply waiting for freight trains. Twice we sat in sidings for two hours. But four hours of the delay can be attributed to VIA. A bad-ordered sleeper (fortunately for passengers it was a dead-head car) had to be removed at Winnipeg. There was a problem in the VIA yard so the units were delayed getting back to the station.

I should add that due to the late arrival into Toronto of #2 on 9/25 we were 8+ hours late leaving Toronto on our trip. When you start out that late there's no hope to make up much time! We departed at 0615 on 9/26.

Roy

The train did better on the three night schedule, as opposed to the four night current schedule that was adopted around 2010 or so.

The Canadian's schedule change is a perfect reason for Amtrak and VIA NOT to give in to the freight railroads and alter there schedules. The schedule change just created an additional train set to be put into service. If VIA kept the old schedule, they could have just added an extra train set in Toronto to use!

With all the station dwell time particularly in Winnipeg west bound, it's hard to believe how late this train can be on a frequent basis. And while the
Canadian is a pleasure to ride, sitting in sidings much of the day can get boring. And believe it or not, some people actually use it as transportation...not recreation. I'm on No. 1 Dec. 30. My back up plan to get to Vancouver in time for the Wings game is to spend the night in Edmonton and fly WestJet (already booked with a refundable ticket) if running so late as to risk missing the game. Too bad those extreme measures need to be taken when even an 8 hour late train would make dinner and the opening face off. GO WINGS

jp1822 Wrote:
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> The train did better on the three night schedule,
> as opposed to the four night current schedule that
> was adopted around 2010 or so.
>
> The Canadian's schedule change is a perfect reason
> for Amtrak and VIA NOT to give in to the freight
> railroads and alter there schedules. The schedule
> change just created an additional train set to be
> put into service. If VIA kept the old schedule,
> they could have just added an extra train set in
> Toronto to use!

That's a good point about the four-night vs three-night run! I sometimes think if a fifth night was added the train would still be late.

Last winter a spare set for the Canadian was kept in Toronto. But the on-board crew is based in Winnipeg, so the extra train-set didn't help much. There was at least six hours between arrival and departure in order to give the crew some rest time.

DrawingroomA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jp1822 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The train did better on the three night
> schedule,
> > as opposed to the four night current schedule
> that
> > was adopted around 2010 or so.
> >
> > The Canadian's schedule change is a perfect
> reason
> > for Amtrak and VIA NOT to give in to the
> freight
> > railroads and alter there schedules. The
> schedule
> > change just created an additional train set to
> be
> > put into service. If VIA kept the old schedule,
> > they could have just added an extra train set
> in
> > Toronto to use!
>
> That's a good point about the four-night vs
> three-night run! I sometimes think if a fifth
> night was added the train would still be late.
>
> Last winter a spare set for the Canadian was kept
> in Toronto. But the on-board crew is based in
> Winnipeg, so the extra train-set didn't help much.
> There was at least six hours between arrival and
> departure in order to give the crew some rest
> time.

VIA had dabbled with creating a Toronto crew for the Canadian......not sure how exactly that would have interfaced with the Winnipeg crew, but it was on the drawing boards when the schedule change was on the table.....

jp1822 Wrote:
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> VIA had dabbled with creating a Toronto crew for
> the Canadian......not sure how exactly that would
> have interfaced with the Winnipeg crew, but it was
> on the drawing boards when the schedule change was
> on the table.....

Prior to 15 Jan. 1990 when the Canadian was reduced from daily to tri-weekly, Toronto crews operated most runs to and from Winnipeg. Four years ago I was on #1 ex-Toronto and I recognised one of three Toronto-based crew members. They were in "training" for the sleeper and dining car positions to be used as back-up in an emergency. But they don't have a full crew from Toronto. There have been occasions when a full crew has been flown to Toronto, but I'm told that is rare. I have been on #2 when several Winnipeg crew members have been deadheading to Toronto to assist on the return trip of #1. According to the crew members I know well, that is rarely done any more. Usually the late arriving crew get a brief rest in a hotel and away they go again.

To anyone reading this thread who is unfamiliar with the Canadian, please understand it is still a splendid train and a great experience. Unless entraining or detraining on time is important to you, you will enjoy the experience. Just don't make any firm plans for your arrival. It is prudent to have a Plan B.

DrawingroomA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jp1822 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>

> To anyone reading this thread who is unfamiliar
> with the Canadian, please understand it is still a
> splendid train and a great experience. Unless
> entraining or detraining on time is important to
> you, you will enjoy the experience. Just don't
> make any firm plans for your arrival. It is
> prudent to have a Plan B.


I completely agree. Rode the train earlier this year and had a fantastic time. Equipment, crew, food and scenery make this an incredible experience.

DrawingroomA and I must have been on the same train in March. 15 hours to the minute late on #2. What a slog! But the credit greatly reduced the cost of tonight's launch from Vancouver. Trying to think positive. . .

Fred F

I was on the Canadian that arrived in Toronto on 3/22, and we are only 2 hours late. So once in a while they can get in close to on time. It was a fantastic experience all the way from Vancouver, before we even left the station.

Number 2 arrived in Toronto yesterday (14 Oct.) just under three hours late, which is pretty good. But still, many passengers missed their connections for train #64 (Kingston/Montreal) and #73 (London/Windsor). At least there are later trains available for these passengers when the Canadian isn't significantly late.

Train #2 of Thursday 16th Oct. arrived in Toronto a mere hour late. The 22:00 departure of #1 was expected to be on time, although I can't confirm that it departed on time. The twice-a-week service has now started for the off-peak season, so this was the last Thursday arrival and departure of the Canadian in Toronto until the 7th of May 2015.