Canadian Railroads > GO VIA – Kitchener

Here’s VIA #85....a number used by the ‘International’ on this route via Guelph and Kitchener and onto London but instead of the of the Amtrak ‘Superliner’ equipment it once had.....today’s train was an F40, former CP long-distance coach (getting pretty thread-bare!) and an LRC coach.

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I was travelling to Kitchener and VIA offers two trains a day each way. The next morning I returned to Toronto Union on GO which has greatly increased service on this route with 6 trains in the morning between 5:20 and 7:50am + an afternoon and evening train.

https://www.gotransit.com/static_files/gotransit/assets/pdf/TripPlanning/FullSchedules/FS02112019/Table31.pdf

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For several years until a couple of months ago the second coach on #85/88 (line # 04) was a HEP-2 VIA-1 car.  I have friends who like to ride this train three times a year and I always join them. We get a four-seater in car 4. The seats in the old VIA-1 car are as narrow as those in coach/economy, but there is noticeably more leg-room. There are three of the HEP-2 VIA-1 cars currently being converted to the LRC-type Business Class seating, so obviously VIA can't spare any to use in economy service except on "run-throughs" where Business Class service is not offered.

Train 85 was more like 5 cars and needed it when it ran to Chicago. People got on along the way headed for Michigan and Chicago.

Wasn't VIA supposed to refurbish some of the old LD ex-CP coaches that they used on the transcon trains (e.g. Canadian)? VIA has done wonders with the interiors of these old 1950s era coaches, including the ones acquired second hand through Amtrak in the 1980s and 1990s..............They learned from Amtrak's refurbishment mistakes! LOL! 

jp1822 Wrote:
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> Wasn't VIA supposed to refurbish some of the old
> LD ex-CP coaches that they used on the transcon
> trains (e.g. Canadian)? VIA has done wonders with
> the interiors of these old 1950s era coaches,
> including the ones acquired second hand through
> Amtrak in the 1980s and 1990s..............They
> learned from Amtrak's refurbishment mistakes!
> LOL! 

CAD is rebuilding the 25 ex-CPR coaches. Bombardier is to do the same with the 17 ex-U.S. railway coaches which are even older.

https://corpo.viarail.ca/en/projects-infrastructure/train-fleet/heritage-program

It has been reported elsewhere that Bombardier has discovered major structural issues with one of those 1946-era coaches.


 

Even Budd equipment has its breaking point. 

ACR has several 1952-era ex-Amtrak Clocker/Adirondack cars, either Pennsy and/or Santa Fe heritage, for the Hearst local that they no longer run. Maybe VIA Rail could buy one to make up for this defective car. 

But with the HEP-II coaches freeing up in a few years, mostly used in the Corridor, maybe they could convert them to LD service. What are the plans for those cars ?