Canadian Railroads > Arival in Churchill

VIA train #693 arrived in Churchill at 12:16 pm yoday to the cheers of waiting townspeople.

Great news! The Arctic Gateway facebook page has some excellent video of the train arrive and passengers getting off to cheers. Hard to imagine being in a place where this is the first land transporation in over a year.

Here are a few media reports.

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/people-in-churchill-cheer-on-arrival-of-first-passenger-train-in-18-months-1.4204249
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/churchill-passenger-rail-departs-winnipeg-1.4929478
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/churchill-passenger-train-1.4932087

The local airline is probably not happy.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The local airline is probably not happy.

I was browsing airfares and was seeing one way prices of $500 minimum. So I bet people there are happy!

Just noticed that Via 690 and 693 are tracked on the 'North America InterCity Rail Tools' website. No surprise since they track everything else.

https://asm.transitdocs.com/

This work was certainly done quickly. There is no reason construction should have taken so long to start.  Train looks good. Is the Park Car standard on this train or was it just used for the inaugural run? Good if it is standard. When rode back in the 1980's the train was all blue cars including two E Class sleepers and a counter diner. 

Great news. Congrats to the citizens of Churchill!

Could be that Park car was for the first run, don't know for sure.  However, Park car = non Prestige of course, is often standard summer through bear season.  Before the flood, a manager in WPG told me they were going to also run a Park late winter for good northern light viewing.  Also, don't know what food service was available on this first run.  However, again summer through bear season there has been a good  chef cooked menu.  The food is not Train 1 - 2 style food but really good stuff like beef pot roast, salmon or maybe arctic char for dinner and salads and quality sandwiches for lunch - Angus burger.  Very much enjoyed having the heavy breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and bacon second morning while viewing the Far North tundra scenery.  Somehow a big chef cooked breakfast wonderful while viewing such remote tundra country.  Chef cooked food may also appear during low season when there is a winter tour group.  All more of a laid back style which this train is.  During the very low season, mostly micro stuff which I won't comment on.

Can't stay away from Trains 1 - 2, but also have done 20 round trips to Churchill and will do another during late 2019!!  Just luv it!!!
Eliot