Canadian Railroads > VIA revises the Canadian's schedule for the 2019 peak season

The following is the English version of a message sent by VIA Rail's CEO to employees on September 20.

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Dear colleagues,

The growth VIA Rail is currently experiencing is not exclusive to it. Year after year, rail freight transport is also growing steadily. That’s why Canadian National (CN), our main infrastructure partner, is currently making significant investments to develop and strengthen its rail network—$400 million were invested in 2018, and the same amount is planned for 2019 in Northern Ontario and Western Canada.

While next summer may still seem far away, operational plans to offer travellers an enjoyable experience during the 2019 peak season have been reviewed. In collaboration with our infrastructure partner, we’ve agreed on the following schedule featuring new departure days and times:

• Train 1 between Toronto–Vancouver will depart on Wednesdays & Sundays and between Edmonton-Vancouver on Fridays·
• Train 2 between Vancouver–Toronto will depart on Mondays & Fridays and between Vancouver-Edmonton on Tuesdays.

As noted above, growth in traffic and major infrastructure work blocks planned for summer 2019 cannot accommodate a third frequency in the summer peak period between Edmonton and Toronto for both trains 1 and 2.  The specific details of the above-mentioned departures remain to be finalized, and the results will be communicated to you shortly.

Rail freight transport is a major driver for the Canadian economy, which is constantly growing. In order to offer an attractive product to travellers, we will therefore continue to respond to infrastructure sharing-related challenges by giving priority to the following for the Canadian: 

• Schedule predictability
• Travel through the Rockies during the daytime·
• Balanced maintenance time in Toronto and Vancouver

The ingenuity and commitment of all those who work on the Canadian are our greatest asset. We are confident that the 2019 peak period schedule will allow us to maintain the industry leading quality of service that is the hallmark of the iconic Canadian.  



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/18 10:25 by railsmith.

Interesting.  Curtailed service between Edmonton and Toronto.  The best think CN can do is double track their whole transcon line, pending available funds, of course.!

Just a matter of time before it goes down to one day a week across Canada! 

Overall, sad to see this train within 30 years go from daily on both a CP and CN to just twice a week on the CN route. And at the turn of the century less than 20 years ago VIA was pushing for six days a week between Edmonton/Jasper and Vancouver. VIA has to make the changes now so as to accommodate the tour groups for 2019. Interesting to see the "days of the week" changed as well. Longer consists for sure. Only three consists needed for the two day a week operation. I wonder if the Edmonton-Vancouver train will continue to carry the Prestige Park Dome/Car and even a Prestige Sleeper car - or if that will just be reserved for the full length Canadian (Toronto to Vancouver)......

Sudbury - Winnipeg endpoints: 2 trains per week, 0 buses.

VIA obviously hasn't learned anything from Amtrak! Run a connecting bus from Edmonton to Toronto. Contact Richard Anderson for details.

Two days per week makes it very difficult to use the train for anything other than a joy ride. I'm stuck in Vancouver (yes, I know, it's beautiful but have been there dozens of times) in March for two nights when one would be preferred. That said, most of the load does seem to be between Jasper and Vancouver. So not sure why the train would continue to Edmonton. Heck, the station in Jasper is even larger! They blame all this on CN traffic and upgrades but what makes them think it will be any better in 2020? Oh wait.They probably don't. Once a train is cut back or eliminated, it's unlikely to be restored. BTW, very funny about the bus to Toronto. Sign me up. But not sure where they would stop for a "comfort" stop in northern Ontario! Let's just hope that Delta Dick doesn't take over VIA Rail after he's canned from Amtrak. I'm sure he wouldn't see any value in 60 year old equipment with full dining services and dump the train immediately (even though NWA had the oldest fleet in the country when he left). 

What about running one train a week on CP ?? They don't seem to have congestion problems, do they?

You're not stuck and you know it. Just get on that tin can you always talk about and get yourself home.

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Two days per week makes it very difficult to use
> the train for anything other than a joy ride. I'm
> stuck in Vancouver (yes, I know, it's beautiful
> but have been there dozens of times) in March for
> two nights when one would be preferred. That said,
> most of the load does seem to be between Jasper
> and Vancouver. So not sure why the train would
> continue to Edmonton. Heck, the station in Jasper
> is even larger! They blame all this on CN traffic
> and upgrades but what makes them think it will be
> any better in 2020? Oh wait.They probably don't.
> Once a train is cut back or eliminated, it's
> unlikely to be restored. BTW, very funny about the
> bus to Toronto. Sign me up. But not sure where
> they would stop for a "comfort" stop in northern
> Ontario! Let's just hope that Delta Dick doesn't
> take over VIA Rail after he's canned from Amtrak.
> I'm sure he wouldn't see any value in 60 year old
> equipment with full dining services and dump the
> train immediately (even though NWA had the oldest
> fleet in the country when he left). 

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Two days per week makes it very difficult to use
> the train for anything other than a joy ride. I'm
> stuck in Vancouver (yes, I know, it's beautiful
> but have been there dozens of times) in March for
> two nights when one would be preferred. That said,
> most of the load does seem to be between Jasper
> and Vancouver. So not sure why the train would
> continue to Edmonton. Heck, the station in Jasper
> is even larger! They blame all this on CN traffic
> and upgrades but what makes them think it will be
> any better in 2020? Oh wait.They probably don't.
> Once a train is cut back or eliminated, it's
> unlikely to be restored. BTW, very funny about the
> bus to Toronto. Sign me up. But not sure where
> they would stop for a "comfort" stop in northern
> Ontario! Let's just hope that Delta Dick doesn't
> take over VIA Rail after he's canned from Amtrak.
> I'm sure he wouldn't see any value in 60 year old
> equipment with full dining services and dump the
> train immediately (even though NWA had the oldest
> fleet in the country when he left). 

You sure complain a lot. You want to preserve 1950's trains in an era of 21st century economics. Right. How's that working for ya? As for the NWA fleet, most of those aircraft were still productive when he departed, unlike the 60 year old rolling stock on The Canadian which were well past the point of economic productivity around the time the first Superliners appeared. It seems it is always about using someone else's money to preserve your train riding experiences. 

I love the Budd stock on The Canadian. I've ridden the train both prior to Via and after. That said, I don't expect Canadian taxpayers to provide me with a nostalgic ride through history. Seems the time has come to venture into the 21st century with rolling stock that addresses the current day economics more efficently then a rolling museum can provide. 

IMHO it is Very unlikely "Delta Dick" will be fired. If he reduces costs in relationship to revenue, even if ridership drops on some routes, he will be credited with preserving Amtrak.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/18 11:42 by ATSF3751.

Of all the places in the world to be "stuck", Vancouver has to be one of the most delightful..

This solution, such as it is, may turn out to be a big plus for Via.  It retains a significant amount of the customer base between two major cities on the route.  Retains the mountains, but loses the long ride over the prairies and Shield.  Gets better turns over the road.

I'd like to see a return of one or two trains weekly to the CPR route, that might turn out to be a political accommodation if residents complain.  Maybe they could name the CPR route train the "Super Continental".

ATSF3751 Wrote:

> You sure complain a lot. You want to preserve
> 1950's trains in an era of 21st century economics.
> Right. How's that working for ya? As for the NWA
> fleet, most of those aircraft were still
> productive when he departed, unlike the 60 year
> old rolling stock on The Canadian which were well
> past the point of economic productivity around the
> time the first Superliners appeared. It seems it
> is always about using someone else's money to
> preserve your train riding experiences. 
>
> I love the Budd stock on The Canadian. I've ridden
> the train both prior to Via and after. That said,
> I don't expect Canadian taxpayers to provide me
> with a nostalgic ride through history. Seems the
> time has come to venture into the 21st century
> with rolling stock that addresses the current day
> economics more efficently then a rolling museum
> can provide. 

The trains would have seen reduced frequency whether the cars were 60 years old or 60 months old. 
Until you can show us a P&L statement for a freeway system, your continued whining about "taxpayers" and nostalgia is hypocritical, and constitutes your own "Me Too" movement. 

For God's sake, stop the political, partisan crap. This site is about trains and railroading.