Canadian Railroads > VIA trip

My wife and I just finished a cruise from NYC to Quebec. We took the train to Montreal and then south to New York. It was an enjoyable trip in every way. I even got to see the train layouts at Saint Foy.

This is in rearguards to a post here on TO I read before we left on the trip. Someone mentioned how the Red Caps treated them and how much the gratuity was expected. Our experience was the opposite. Starting with the station master at Saint Foy. During our conversation he discovered that I was a model railroader. He directed me to the train layouts near the station. They were very accommodating to me and I have many photos now of the layouts.

We were not accosted by the Red Caps upon our arrival at Le Gare Central station. Upon our departure to head south and home our experience was the same. The Red Cap was very friendly and helpful in every way. And at $3 per bag and saving us a seat it was worth every cent. In fact we really liked the Le Gare Central station and its food court.

I did mention the experience the TO poster had. His comment was that you get what you expect. I don't know what the TO poster problem was. I do know that along with our trip last year-The Canadian and the Maple Leaf-we are very satisfied with our northern neighbors.

The problem was VIA Rail does not let you use a down escalator unless you are elderly/disabled/have small children. That is totally arcane and unacceptable.

As for the Red Cap, once I handed over the bag, he said "we work for tips". Yes I tip, but I don't like being asked for it. When asked me which coach I wanted to be in, he will simply dump the bag in that end-of-car luggage bins. Passengers board later, search for your bag, then get a seat.

Sorry, I am not impressed with Gare Central "services". But at least they had VIA Rail schedules and pamphlet. Toronto had absolutely nothing except Operation Redblcok literature, hardly relevant if you are taking a train in the first place.

At Toronto, ONR passengers cannot use the UP escalator either. The escalators are running down for GOT passengers. The ONR is simply an interloper. Since the Northlander is federally subsidized south of North Bay (but not by VIA Rail), and provincially subsidized north of North Bay, perhaps it should be a joint VIA/ON venture with better equipment than some of that 44 year old ex-GOT junk.

If Amtrak didn't let people without special requirements use the escalator at NY Penn, they'd be on the Five O'Clock news.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/11 11:47 by joemvcnj.

Joe, you are correct that they won't let you down the escalator unless you have problems. However, the Red Cap simply said the "fee" if you will, was $3 per bag. He also placed the bags in the luggage space AND placed a small bag in two seats for us. I believe that was both a proper charge and a nice thing to do.
I have no idea how much they are paid as a Red Cap. However, I still feel it was OK.
Dan*

I have used the Red Caps at Gare Centrale Montreal and Toronto Union Station many times. It is a very professional and valuable service. I always tip more than the $3 per bag and find the service worth it. I have never been told by any of the Red Caps that they work for tips, but if I had I would have found it annoying too. However, I always approach the VIA (and Amtrak) Red Caps with cash in hand so they know I will not take them for granted. Inane rules? In my opinion, Canada, like the UK and Europe, has some inane rules from the USA point-of-view. This I believe is part of their cultures which discourage individual initiative, but in the end provide a far better overall service and experience than in the USA. One only needs to see the movies: "A Bridge Too Far" or P*A*T*T*O*N to witness this culture clash.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/11 15:45 by railwaybaron.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The problem was VIA Rail does not let you use a
> down escalator unless you are
> elderly/disabled/have small children. That is
> totally arcane and unacceptable.

If you have “special needs” and cannot use the stairs, you will be accommodated. Here’s a link on VIA’s web page:

http://www.viarail.ca/en/useful-info/special-needs

Sleeper and Business Class can also use the escalator.......Otherwise, why not just join the queue like everyone else!

The boarding process at Centrale just seems so orderly compared to the circus I`ve witnessed at Chicago Union Station. And yes I realize CUS is on one level......hate to see it if two levels were involved!

I lived in Montreal in the sixties and seventies, and have been a frequent visitor since. Many train trips, CN and Via, long distance or local were made from Central Station.

I guess the best way to describe the staff on the concourse at Central Station would be quirky and inconsistent. I've certainly encountered all the situations the Joe describes. As a former railroader , I was perhaps a little less critical of some of the performances, but I did notice them taking place. This is not a recent phenomena, it took place just as much in CN days as in Via.

There has to have been countless complaints to CN and Via, however the performances still take place. It seems to depend which shift of station staff you encounter on your travels. I also have had courteous and helpful concourse staff at Central Station.

Someone recently joked that given the subterranean nature of Central Station, perhaps some of the staff are in fact vampires.

Can someone give me an approximate pay rate for the Red Caps?

I have almost always used red-caps to assist us with our luggage when changing trains in Montreal. They have always been charming. It costs $3 a bag to store luggage in the baggage room. If you do that, of course you then have to take it down to the train. By giving a red cap the same amount you will get the between-train "storage" and avoid the inconvenience of taking it to your next train.

In recent years I've noticed there aren't enough red-caps. A few days ago we arrived in Montreal from Halifax (the combined Ocean/Chaleur had 21 cars) and there were only two red-caps on the platform. Both were handling wheelchairs. This was the same situation as on our two previous trips on the Ocean: in June of this year and Oct. last year. Fortunately this time the train had backed in so we were close to the escalator. After a short time in the concourse we eventually found a red-cap. There were three of us with one bag each. We asked the pleasant young man to put the two smaller bags at our seats and the larger bag on the rack. We tipped him $10 which was money well-spent. Although most passengers going to Toronto from the eastern trains take the next available train #57, we find this train to be too slow - and always late when we're on it - so we take a later train after partaking of a lovely breakfast in one of the nearby hotels.

Regarding poor service in Central Station, the worse personnel by far have been two "dragon ladies" in the Panorama Lounge. We haven't had to endure these two for at least three trips. The older one has maybe retired and perhaps the younger one has found another job she likes better than serving VIA's passengers.