Canadian Railroads > The Canadian - timekeeping getting worse

The situation was improving this spring and summer, with many trains arriving on time or even early into Vancouver and Toronto. Over the past few weeks the situation has been returning to what has become normal.

Train #2 due into Toronto at 0930 today is running a little over eight hours late. The next #2 is expected four and a half hours late into Saskatoon. Number 1 is expected close to four hours late into Jasper.

Late arrivals into Toronto often result in late departures. Some recent departures have been between midnight and 0300. A VIA manager has told me that for "after midnight" departures Prestige passengers are given rooms in the Royal York Hotel (across the street from Union Station) and are escorted to the train half an hour before departure. Other sleeper passengers rest in the "Business Lounge." 

Perhaps time to renationalize the CN.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Perhaps time to renationalize the CN.

Except for the fact that about half of CN's trackage is now in the US.

While this is clearly CN's fault, VIA should provide a spare set of equipment in Toronto as they do in Vancouver so they can have on time departures of No. 1 when No. 2 is late. Of course a fresh crew would need to be provided in Toronto as well. How about making CN pay for the expense of the extra crew. I'll bet timekeeping would improve if that were the case. Someone at CN needs to be held accountable for this. It's been going on for years even with the schedule increased by over 12 hours. Shameful. 

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> While this is clearly CN's fault, VIA should
> provide a spare set of equipment in Toronto as
> they do in Vancouver so they can have on time
> departures of No. 1 when No. 2 is late. Of course
> a fresh crew would need to be provided in Toronto
> as well. How about making CN pay for the expense
> of the extra crew. I'll bet timekeeping would
> improve if that were the case. Someone at CN needs
> to be held accountable for this. It's been going
> on for years even with the schedule increased by
> over 12 hours. Shameful. 

VIA does keep an extra set of the Canadian in Toronto in the off-peak season when there is ample equipment available. This is not possible in the peak-season when every Manor sleeper, Prestige sleeper and Prestige Park car is in use on the four long consists required. The issue of on-board crew is still a problem even with the extra train set. Often the crew has very little time to rest between the late arrival and the departure. It is rare for VIA to fly a crew out from Winnipeg.

It would be great if CN could be held accountable, but I doubt that will happen. It would take a federal government strongly committed to passenger rail. Even when David Collenette (who had the support of Prime Minister Chretien) was Minister of Transport,  the government would not get tough with CN.

DrawingroomA Wrote:
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> andersonb109 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > While this is clearly CN's fault, VIA should
> > provide a spare set of equipment in Toronto as
> > they do in Vancouver so they can have on time
> > departures of No. 1 when No. 2 is late. Of
> course
> > a fresh crew would need to be provided in
> Toronto
> > as well. How about making CN pay for the
> expense
> > of the extra crew. I'll bet timekeeping would
> > improve if that were the case. Someone at CN
> needs
> > to be held accountable for this. It's been
> going
> > on for years even with the schedule increased
> by
> > over 12 hours. Shameful. 
>
> VIA does keep an extra set of the Canadian in
> Toronto in the off-peak season when there is ample
> equipment available. This is not possible in the
> peak-season when every Manor sleeper, Prestige
> sleeper and Prestige Park car is in use on the
> four long consists required. The issue of on-board
> crew is still a problem even with the extra train
> set. Often the crew has very little time to rest
> between the late arrival and the departure. It is
> rare for VIA to fly a crew out from Winnipeg.
>
> It would be great if CN could be held accountable,
> but I doubt that will happen. It would take a
> federal government strongly committed to passenger
> rail. Even when David Collenette (who had the
> support of Prime Minister Chretien) was Minister
> of Transport,  the government would not get tough
> with CN.

It does appear that the Canadian is a relatively low priority for the government, probably quite a bit lower than, say, the status of commuter rail operations in various cities,

According to VIA, train #2 arrived Tuesday at 1830 (nine hours late) and #1 departed at 12:15 a.m. (two 1/4 hours late). This is an impressive turn-around but it must be hard on the crew.

Thanks DrawingroonA.  Keep us updated on the timekeeping issue.

As for me, off to Churchill on trip 20 there for me in a few weeks.  I call that train the mini - Canadian as it has diner, sleepers, and, I am told, a Park Car at this time of year.

We rode #2 from Vancouver to Toronto in Prestige Class from July 31 to August 4--at one point we were over 2 hours down due to meets and we were  absolutely amazed at the length of the freights which passed us--ultimately we were only an hour late into Toronto----
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

Maybe they need to re-schedule the train for a next day departure from Toronto to ensure better turn around times.

Dave

DavidP Wrote:
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> Maybe they need to re-schedule the train for a
> next day departure from Toronto to ensure better
> turn around times.
>
> Dave

The train operated better without the 12 hours added and was a 3 day and four night train. Perhaps the folks at VIA should go to CN - BOTH realizing they need to get this train over the railroad - but settle on a schedule that would be best. The westbound Edmonton to Vancouver schedule is nearly the same as to when the train was a 3 day and four night train, so perhaps they could actually leave that section alone and travel through the prairies in darkness once again. More scenery in the Canadian Shield! But for six years this current schedule has failed miserably! Back to the drawing boards please!!!!! No one wants to wait in a lounge or hotel to the wee hours of the morning for the train to be readied.

The situation is a lot better today. Of the four consists, one is on time, two are just a few minutes late and one is two hours late.