Canadian Railroads > Unusual Corridor Consist

This evening I observed an unusual consist on VIA Toronto-Windsor train #75.  Until recently this train has been either LRC or a Venture with three Business Class cars and five Economy.  Tonight it had three LRC coaches, two HEP-2 Business Class and three more LRC coaches.  This train starts as #65 from Montreal to Toronto then becomes #75.  It returns the next day as #70 to Toronto and becomes #64 to Montreal.  

The Business Class cars are numbered #1 and #91.  Seeing a mixture of LRC and HEP-2 equipment isn't unusual, but to see Business Class in the centre of the train with Economy on both sides is a rarity.  Reservia is showing the numbering of the cars as 3, 4, 1. 91. 5. 6. 7.   One of the coaches is apparently deadhead.

From a post on Canadian-Passenger-Rail:

New cycle started Monday Mar 16, 2026, 65-75-70-64 remains 8 cars but having weird 3 LRC-2 HEP2-3 LRC set up for both consists, XL Venture is no longer seen on this route. 67-79-72-66 down to 6 LRC from 8 LRC. 
065/15 > 075/15 > 070/16 > 064/16
901 P42
3340 LRC economy
3335 LRC economy
3351 LRC economy
4009 HEP2 business 
4000 HEP2 business 
3367 LRC economy 
3343 LRC economy 
3338 LRC economy 
6402 F40

065/16 > 075/16 > 070/17 > 064/17
909 P42
3307 LRC economy
3368 LRC economy
3334 LRC economy
4004 HEP2 business
4001 HEP2 business
3325 LRC economy
3366 LRC economy
3308 LRC economy
6410 F40

067/15 > 079/15 > 072/16 > 066/16
900 P42
3370 LRC economy
3355 LRC economy 
3337 LRC economy 
3358 LRC economy 
3464 LRC business 
3456 LRC business 
6417 F40

067/16 > 079/16 > 072/17 > 066/17
919 P42
3333 LRC economy
3313 LRC economy
3363 LRC economy
3329 LRC economy
3469 LRC business
3461 LRC business
913 P42



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/26 19:03 by Ray_Murphy.

Well that’s interesting to know. I have a reservation on business class car 91 on train 65 tomorrow, March 19, from Montreal to Toronto. I thought maybe it would be my first chance to ride a new Venture car, but apparently not.

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I’m going to be in Montreal between this Saturday and this Wednesday and I have plans to get many photos of the VIA Rail Corridor trains. I want to photograph the older and newer rolling stock. I’ll keep those train numbers in mind.

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What is Canadian-Passenger-Rail's Web address?  I can't reach it but would like to see it.

I arrived in Toronto from Montreal this afternoon on train 65, right on time at 16:18. Rode in Business Class car #91, which was in car VIA 4000, built in 1949 for the Southern Railway. Unbelievable! Of course all the seating and interior furnishings are modern and like they just came off the factory floor. The car rode extremely well and was very comfortable, though the seats were a little firm.

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NPRocky Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What is Canadian-Passenger-Rail's Web address?  I
> can't reach it but would like to see it.

https://groups.io/g/Canadian-Passenger-Rail/topics

Here is a photo of VIA No.65 arriving at Oshawa, ON at 15:42.  303.2 CN Kingston Sub.  I took it while waiting for my train, No.46 to take me home to Ottawa.

Gerry Gaugl
Ottawa ON

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Thank you very much. That works.

Nice to know that 65/75 and 70/64 are thru trains.
Why not give them a single train number and market it like they do for Ottawa- Quebec City trains ? 

Although they are through trains, VIA has considered them (and the previous equivalent trains with different numbers) as separate trains.  In most cases, when the arrival at Union Station is on time passengers have been required to leave the train.  When the schedules were a bit tight between 70 and 64 passengers were given the option of sitting on board or getting off for an hour or so.

When the arrival at Union is very late another consist has been used occasionally, if possible, to protect the second train.  That, of course, breaks the connection.  

I started the booking procedure for a London-Montreal trip on #70 & 64.  Reservia will book it as one trip on a through fare but issues two tickets and two different seat assignments in both Business Class and Economy.  It is possible to change seats if one seat through is available, but it appears the passenger has to make the change.

When we were arriving in Toronto on #65 yesterday, the train attendant announced that all had to disembark with items in the overhead bins. However he said that anyone continuing on #75 in the same car they were assigned on #65 could leave any large bags in the luggage shelves at the end of the cars.

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My short stay in the Montreal area today began with late afternoon/early evening railfanning at Dorval Station. First off, just about every VIA Rail train that I photographed was running
late. VIA26 was the worst-probably over 1 hour and 15 minutes late-had a Siemens Venture trainset. I got to photograph 64 with the mixed LRC/HEP2 set. It had an F40 on both ends.

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