Canadian Railroads > Churchill Troubles

Would appreicate any information on what is causing the extreme late operations and even cancellations on the VIA Winnipeg - Churchill trains lately. Today two of the trains are reporrted Cancelled on VIA Rail Tracker.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/26 08:58 by stuporchief.

stuporchief Wrote:
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> Would appreicate any information on what is
> causing the extreme late operations and even
> cancellations on the VIA Winnipeg - Churchill
> trains lately. Today two of the trains are
> reporrted Cancelled on VIA Rail Tracker.

I am guessing the bitter cold (temperatures of -40 F and even colder) experienced
for several weeks in March in northern Alaska and northern Canada).

The Alaska RR Aurora Winter passenger train between Anchorage and Fairbanks was cancelled
at least once a few weeks ago due to the extreme cold, which might prove life-threatening for 
passengers if the train broke down in very remote areas.

My wife and I rode it yesterday (along with 220 other hardy souls) in "balmy" conditions that reached 22 degrees F.

Hakk

 

40 below zero seems pretty cold. Like heating diesel fuel and lubricants cold. Or having a back up coal stove in each car cold.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/26 06:14 by Lackawanna484.

I learned from a VIA onboard staff member based in Winnipeg that the specific cause of the cancellations was the failure of one of the two locomotives on the northound train, resuting the the cancallation of the train mid-trip, which resulted in cancalleation of its soundbound trip as well. VIA has the sensible policy that it won't operate the Churchill trains with fewer than two units. I spoke with the employee aboard the eastbound Canadian this week, and was interested that two units were added to our train at Winnipeg. Maybe one of them was the failed unit being taken to Toronto for repair.