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Canadian Railroads > "Canadian" opinions . . .Date: 01/31/25 15:14 "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: 3rdswitch . . . looking at booking 2 person cabin westbound Toronto Vancouver trip in OCT on Canadian. Big question for those that have done it, how is dome access? TIA for responses.
Joe B Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/25 15:30 by 3rdswitch. Date: 01/31/25 20:30 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: poshell From my recent experiences .....
I've been on four trips on The Canadian at that time of year in the past four years (Dec. 2021, Oct. 2022, Nov. 2023, and Nov. 2024) and not once did I have difficulty getting a seat in The Skyline car, the Park car, or the Bullet Lounge. You may not get to sit alone everytime you're up there, but you will most likely have a seat at any given time. Departing Toronto it will be busy in the Skyline dome and Park car dome, especially if the train is booked solid, as everyone wants to get the hor d'oeuvres and 'welcome' drink(s). 😊 It also gets busy on the afternoons they have the ever-popular 'wine tasting', and 'beer tasting' activities. 😁 Date: 01/31/25 20:33 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: DrawingroomA There are four domes (three Skyline and the Park car) on the peak-season Canadian. The peak fares run until mid November this year. The first Skyline car is for economy passengers. Sleeper passengers are not to use that car. For the past few years there has been a sign at the sleeper end of the Skyline car.
The Skyline car adjacent to each of the two dining cars is for Sleeper Plus passengers. The dome is available at all times. The Park car is mainly for Prestige passengers in peak season. Sleeper Plus passengers may use the Park car after 4:00 p.m. (there is an exception for departure from Vancouver because that is 3:00 p.m.) The seating in the dome will have some restrictions at all times. Most rows will be marked for Prestige passengers only. I have heard that on some runs all dome seats are marked for Prestige. Date: 01/31/25 20:57 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: railsmith DrawingroomA Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > The Park car is > mainly for Prestige passengers in peak season. > Sleeper Plus passengers may use the Park car after > 4:00 p.m. (there is an exception for departure > from Vancouver because that is 3:00 p.m.) What is the exception for Vancouver departures? Date: 01/31/25 21:50 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: 3rdswitch Thanks alot!
JB Date: 01/31/25 21:59 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: DocVooDoo Are there times of the season where if you are in a normal sleeping car (Section, Bedroom, Roomette) you can access the Park car at any time? (Maybe a better way to ask is when is considered Off peak season?
Date: 02/01/25 05:11 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: jp1822 DocVooDoo Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Are there times of the season where if you are in > a normal sleeping car (Section, Bedroom, Roomette) > you can access the Park car at any time? (Maybe a > better way to ask is when is considered Off peak > season? No, but I will say this. I have NEVER seen the Park Car heavily occupied with Prestige passengers. Frankly, I could see VIA selling limited "upgrade" passes for Sleeper Plus passengers that want to access the Park Car at any time. Course they HAVE to ensure that this is not taking away from the Prestige passengers' experience in any way. So it's a roll of the dice. I can see why VIA does NOT want to sell any Sleeper Plus "upgrade" passes, but I can also see why they would (extra revenue). Date: 02/01/25 06:10 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: DrawingroomA railsmith Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- ... > > What is the exception for Vancouver departures? VIA doesn't explain what they mean by that. I almost never travel in peak season, but some who do have said Sleeper Plus passengers are not allowed in the Park car after 4:00 p.m. because the bon voyage for Prestige is still ongoing. Some have said there was no Park car access at all on the departure day from Vancouver. VIA has stated the same exception applies to Toronto departures, but again postings from passengers say that doesn't apply because of the 9:55 a.m. departure. VIA should explain the rules better. Date: 02/01/25 07:18 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: 3rdswitch After checking VIA's website, the first available Prestige vacancy in not till NOV so it would apprear it is popular this year. First sleeper plus was AUG then not until OCT.
JB Date: 02/01/25 08:47 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: TCnR There's also the idea of flying to Edmonton then experience the Rockies to Vancouver and return. Canada has a lot to see but sometimes too much.
Don't know how that effects the availibility though. Date: 02/01/25 09:03 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: jp1822 3rdswitch Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > After checking VIA's website, the first available > Prestige vacancy in not till NOV so it would > apprear it is popular this year. First sleeper > plus was AUG then not until OCT. > JB Hoping they can add some Manor or Chateau cars during the year - things got booked up VERY fast this year for the Canadian! Last year Chateau cars were the crew cars, as opposed to the Manor Sleeper Cars on the Canadian - or as much as possible. The Chateau Sleepers are really showing their age and MUCH different in style/upkeep of the Manor Sleepers, so VIA Rail also needs to be careful. VIA's been keeping the Manor series Sleepers completely to the Canadian, while the Hudson Bay and Ocean have Chateau series Sleepers. Clearly VIA Rail has a market for its Prestige Class so I am hoping that the new LD cars they are looking to procure include more Prestige sleepers and the associated food and lounge/dome cars to compliment it. VIA could easily have it designed with more Prestige class sleepers whereas they have what would be the equivalent of a Park Car and upgraded Diner unto themselves. That would certainly elevate things further. Prestige passengers are seated first in the regular Diner with Sleeper Plus passengers (not to be intermixed!) as they get an extra course over Sleeper Plus passengers. The market is there. If VIA does do a "re-launch" of sort with the Canadian, I really wish they would go back to three times a week in the peak season so as to allow capacity expansion AND proper maintenance and rotation of passenger cars. During peak season, there's not much room for spare cars in the current VIA Rail Canadian fleet. I don't think it would be worth VIA Rail to operate just a sole "Prestige ONLY Canadian" supplemented by a multi-class Canadian. I think it still works on economies of scale and shared costs to run the three classes (Economy, Sleeper Plus, and Prestige) together as one LONG train in peak season. Keep in mind, even in peak season, Prestige is selling out!!!! Across the border, Amtrak has yet to figure out that these "luxuries" would offset their LD train losses. Amtrak had looked at a cross-country "luxury train" (all-sleeper) using the Capitol Limited and CA Zephyr route as a through train (operating on a special schedule bypassing Chicago and running at least once a week). Warrington was the brainchild but he had no "luxury cars" to offer up to operate the service. The new LD Amtrak fleet being proposed has some elements of luxury rooms, but it doesn't go as far as VIA Rail's prestige. Only Amtrak would be able to operate it, not a private operator hooking up separate cars. Amtrak has failed at trying to design an optimal plan that would do this, which is too bad. Date: 02/01/25 11:05 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: DavidP What's the current winter consist looking like? Just one Skyline for regular sleeper? Are all sleepers Manor-series cars?
Thanks, Dave Date: 02/01/25 11:37 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: PumpkinHogger Handy site, no idea where the info comes from. Mirrors the Via site content for consist info tho:
https://traincar.info/ ![]() Date: 02/01/25 16:06 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: jp1822 Wow! About a decade ago, the winter consist was probably about half of what the sleeper cars are showing - only three sleepers, Park Car, Skyline, Diner, and one or two coaches. That was it! Yet these consists are going in sold out status for the most part even in winter and off-season. Just imagine if there was a Winnipeg-Banff-Golden-Kamloops-Vancouver section!!! That would be a SUPER popular train in winter! and for winter fun. But that's wishful thinking. Was recently back in the Banff, Golden, and Lake Louise area this past August, and gosh does passenger train service need to be restored on the original CP Canadian route.
Date: 02/01/25 16:10 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: PumpkinHogger Imagine the ridership and usefulness potential for the little people if it ran daily and routed alternate days via Calgary and Edmonton. Sigh.
Date: 02/01/25 20:09 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: DrawingroomA jp1822 Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > 3rdswitch Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > After checking VIA's website, the first > available > > Prestige vacancy in not till NOV so it would > > apprear it is popular this year. First sleeper > > plus was AUG then not until OCT. > > JB > > Hoping they can add some Manor or Chateau cars > during the year - things got booked up VERY fast > this year for the Canadian! Last year Chateau cars > were the crew cars, as opposed to the Manor > Sleeper Cars on the Canadian - or as much as > possible. The Chateau Sleepers are really showing > their age and MUCH different in style/upkeep of > the Manor Sleepers, so VIA Rail also needs to be > careful. ... > Prestige passengers are seated first in the regular Diner > with Sleeper Plus passengers (not to be > intermixed!) as they get an extra course over > Sleeper Plus passengers. ... I have not seen Chateau sleepers on the Canadian in revenue service for many years. The Chateau sleeper for crew use was replaced by a Manor sleeper after the COVID shutdown. Prestige passengers may be sharing a table with passengers from the regular sleepers. Many sittings are fully booked so every seat may be needed. When we have been in Prestige we have sometimes shared a table with Sleeper Plus passengers and one time when we were in Sleeper Plus (which is most of the time) we dined with a couple from Prestige. The two times we have travelled in Prestige we were travelling with friends who were not in Prestige. I asked the steward (called service co-ordinator now) if our friends could dine with us and he said of course. Dinner is the only meal with an extra course so at that meal our friends joined us when the general call was made. Date: 02/01/25 20:54 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: PumpkinHogger Oh the horror of Pre$tige peeps having to sit with the riffraff.
Given the amount of food one gets in the "cheap" sleeps, I can't see how having another course would add to the meal experience, it seems like overkill. But then so does shucking out $10k for a $2k ride. Date: 02/02/25 02:21 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: DavidP PumpkinHogger Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Handy site, no idea where the info comes from. > Mirrors the Via site content for consist info > tho: > https://traincar.info/ Thanks! Good info.....looks like it was created by a Redditor on the r/ViaRail sub. Dave Date: 02/02/25 05:53 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: joemvcnj I would think with Greyhound's demise, and running just twice weekly, they would need 2 coaches off season, But I suppose not. Or is it they don't want too many "Greyhound types" riding the trains and having to call RCMP for disorderly conduct that much more.
Date: 02/02/25 15:03 Re: "Canadian" opinions . . . Author: jp1822 DrawingroomA Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > jp1822 Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > 3rdswitch Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > After checking VIA's website, the first > > available > > > Prestige vacancy in not till NOV so it would > > > apprear it is popular this year. First > sleeper > > > plus was AUG then not until OCT. > > > JB > > > > Hoping they can add some Manor or Chateau cars > > during the year - things got booked up VERY > fast > > this year for the Canadian! Last year Chateau > cars > > were the crew cars, as opposed to the Manor > > Sleeper Cars on the Canadian - or as much as > > possible. The Chateau Sleepers are really > showing > > their age and MUCH different in style/upkeep of > > the Manor Sleepers, so VIA Rail also needs to > be > > careful. > ... > > > Prestige passengers are seated first in the > regular Diner > > with Sleeper Plus passengers (not to be > > intermixed!) as they get an extra course over > > Sleeper Plus passengers. > ... > > I have not seen Chateau sleepers on the Canadian > in revenue service for many years. The Chateau > sleeper for crew use was replaced by a Manor > sleeper after the COVID shutdown. > > Prestige passengers may be sharing a table with > passengers from the regular sleepers. Many > sittings are fully booked so every seat may be > needed. When we have been in Prestige we have > sometimes shared a table with Sleeper Plus > passengers and one time when we were in Sleeper > Plus (which is most of the time) we dined with a > couple from Prestige. The two times we have > travelled in Prestige we were travelling with > friends who were not in Prestige. I asked the > steward (called service co-ordinator now) if our > friends could dine with us and he said of > course. Dinner is the only meal with an extra > course so at that meal our friends joined us when > the general call was made. Thanks for the clarity!!! Last August when I was on the Canadian to Edmonton (no Jasper due to fires), the crew were in a Chateau sleeper. They seemed to make it seem that this was routine, but guess it was anomaly! You certainly track this train more than me, and very grateful for that. Likewise, when we were on the train, it always seemed like the Prestige passengers were "together." I could certainly understand the mix, and it would have to happen for capacity's sake. We had a really hard core Toronto to Winnipeg dining staff - like drill sergeant quality! LOL! She was good, but she needed to tone it down just a little. Anyway, she was on point to make sure that Prestige passengers were seated first, which I think is the norm, and that they got what ever "extras" they were supposed to get - totally understandable. But she also seemed to draw the line as to Prestige folks sitting together and Sleeper Plus passengers sitting together. I remember the diner being quite full for breakfast one morning and she refused to seat two Sleeper Plus passengers with the Prestige passengers. Prior trips, it's been a while though, I had dining car crews that did the mix and mingle. So again, guess that was a one-off with our dining car steward, Louise! Will never forget her!!!! Would it make sense for a Chateau sleeper to be a crew car as opposed to a Manor sleeping car on the Canadian? I am sure the Chateau sleepers are well assigned between Hudson Bay and Ocean trains. However, I would think the Chateau sleepers would be more accommodating for the crews, especially since they have more single cabins (roomettes) than say a Manor car. For the bedrooms (cabin for 2) does the staff double up - two crew members in a bedroom? Have always wondered about that. In peak season, I would think they need every sleeping space possible for the crew!!!! |