Canadian Railroads > Hudson Bay Train

Wrote to VIA concerning food service for sleeper passengers on the Hudson Bay service. The answer: "Meals for sleeper class passengers will not be included until 12/31/2024. Sleeper class will have access to the Skyline car to purchase food." Looks like passengers will have a dome car! Not a bad trade-off.

Posted from Android

Thanks for that info which I was also wondering about.  Thought, however, the date was supposed to be 12/31/22.

VIA sent email 3/11 and stated 12/31/2024.You can buy food in the Skyline car.

What's the rush?

Posted from Android

Skylines are equipped to offer a basic dining service if VIA chose to do so.

Dave

DavidP Wrote:
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> Skylines are equipped to offer a basic dining
> service if VIA chose to do so.
>
> Dave

For a few years in the late 1990s, the Skyline cars on the Canadian offered the full Silver  & Blue class dining to augment the dining car.  On one of our rare summer trips we were assigned the Skyline for meals. At dinner there were the same four choices that the dining car had, including the prime rib of beef.  I was impressed that so much food came out of that tiny kitchen.

For one summer VIA offered three Skylines as diners for Silver & Blue class. The dining car was downgraded to a coffee shop service for coach passengers. This caused a lot of complaints from coach passengers who had no dome and from sleeper passengers who were not pleased to have the rather plain Skylines for meals, especially if they saw the elegant diner was for those in coach. As a further insult to sleeper passengers, only continental breakfast was available that summer. Coach passengers could purchase a cooked breakfast. One steward told me that more than one sleeper passenger was so annoyed they went up to the diner, bought an eggs and bacon breakfast and brought it back to the Skyline. Before the summer season finished VIA stopped using tablecloths to make the diner look more plain. 

Sometime in the 90's I road the VIA Canadian from Vancouver to Winnipeg Silver and Blue in the winter, and a Skyline provided the dining service.  I have no negative recollections. Before that, about 1967, I had ridden the Atlantic Limited from Montreal to Saint John and diner was in a CPR operated Skyline...and it provided an excellent meal.  I don't think there is any inherent reason the Skyline can't provide a first class experience, just on a smaller scale than a full diner.  And obviously dependent on the supplies provided and the staff.

JBWX



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/23 22:28 by jbwest.

Before Covid, a Skyline provided Sleeper class meals to Churchill.  Not Canadian level elegance, but very good with at least three menu choices.

A couple of friends and I are planning on taking the VIA Rail Hudson Bay train up to Churchill from Winnipeg next March. We are very excited when we can do it. As much as it is an annoyance that there is no dining car on the train, it will be nice to have the Skyline Dome Car. We will probably stock up on foods for our trip in Winnipeg. I know that at Thompson Station, that is a lenthy layover depending on how late the train is running.

Have a great trip!  I have done the trip 21 times experiencing all manner of adventures including the train becoming stuck in snow at Thompson!

If you need lodging at Churchill, Polar Inn is great.