Canadian Railroads > Ocean timekeeping

I have been watching the OTP of the Ocean and it has consistently been over an hour late in both directions.  Will this continue going into warmer weather ahead in the next two or three months?  In May I have booked a connection with #65 to Toronto which only shows a connection time of one hour.  I am now thinking that maybe I should change my reservations to #67 to allow for more time in Montreal.  Any advice will be greatly appreciated.   

hogtrain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have been watching the OTP of the Ocean and it
> has consistently been over an hour late in both
> directions.  Will this continue going into warmer
> weather ahead in the next two or three months? 
> In May I have booked a connection with #65 to
> Toronto which only shows a connection time of one
> hour.  I am now thinking that maybe I should
> change my reservations to #67 to allow for more
> time in Montreal.  Any advice will be greatly
> appreciated.   

15 seems to be generally fairly on time, especially outside of winter. I know that 65 will sometimes be held if 15 is a bit late.

Michael

A train can be ontime for days....but the day you ride anything can happen so why not book #67 instead?

Don't let the anxity of a late train ruin your trip.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/19 20:10 by ghCBNS.

A coworker's GF and their little fellow are on #15 to Campbellton right now and it was 2 hrs late leaving Truro this afternoon due to freight interference. That almost never happens so early into the run. They've made up some time and now 1hr 40 late.

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hogtrain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have been watching the OTP of the Ocean and it
> has consistently been over an hour late in both
> directions.  Will this continue going into warmer
> weather ahead in the next two or three months? 
> In May I have booked a connection with #65 to
> Toronto which only shows a connection time of one
> hour.  I am now thinking that maybe I should
> change my reservations to #67 to allow for more
> time in Montreal.  Any advice will be greatly
> appreciated.   

It hasn't been consistently over an hour late. Arrivals in Halifax have been late, but the run I was on a couple of weeks ago was 40 minutes late. A trip a few months ago was 10 minutes early.  Many arrivals in Montreal have been on time or even  a little early. It has been a long time since I booked the tight connection. VIA will usually hold #65 for a short time, but not too long. There was one day last week when the Ocean arrived at 11:08 but #65 departed on time at 11:00.

I usually book #67. Some of my friends do the same. When they book #65 they often miss the connection. Two weeks ago one couple, booked from Montreal to Belleville in Business Class, was sent to Ottawa in Business Class, then to Belleville in economy. Another couple was re-booked on #67 but could not get seats together. On a previous trip, some were sent to Ottawa and others to Kingston then on another train to Belleville or Toronto. It is rather sad that people pay for Business Class and choose seats long in advance so they can sit together then everything is messed up.

Another reason why I book on #67 - or even #69 - is that #65 arrives in Toronto in the rush-hour if a week-day, which is no fun if onward travel with luggage is on the GO train or the subway.

The w/b Ocean #15 I reported as being 2 hrs late at Truro yesterday has made up over quite a bit of time and will now be about 45 min late at Montreal this morning

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The past 10 arrivals of the Ocean in Montreal:

23 Feb. 10:08
25 Feb.  10:15
28 Feb.  11:41 (#65 not held)
2 March  10:12
4 March  10:47
7 March  10:03
9 March  11:05 (#65 held, departed at 11:14)
11 March  10:32
14 March  11:08 (#65 not held)
16 March  9:57

I just did the Ocean and we were 2 hrs late into Halifax due to freight traffic after leaving Montreal and crew said they can't really make up much time. On the return to Montreal we got in half hour late and they had made up some time I would build extra time in the schedule
Joe

Thanks for all the information and advise.  I changed my reservations to #67 so that I do not have to worry about a missed connection and enjoy my travel more.  I have made a trip on the Canadian and one on the Skeena, and this will complete my travel across Canada.  Thanks again.