VIA Rail

[Darwinkgo]

I believe it was a Ren Trainset in each direction, 6 days a week. I think for a trip from Toronto to Montreal thru ottawa would be like 7 hours. So if it costs you $140 to travel from Toronto to Montreal overnight and you get there before 9am that's about the same as staying in the hotel. Mind you I dont know how much those tickets where at the time in Sleeper class, but that's about the going rate of a decent hotel in Ottawa or Montreal before covid.

I know my company's expense guidelines would never allow you to make this swap even if it saved money overall. I suspect that is fairly common.

 

[Bordercollie]

So you mean to say that your company rather pay $60.00 for a train ticket plus $140.00 for a hotel? I think that depends on the organization, and although it's meant for business users that's not to say that non business customer's would not take advantage of the service.

 

[micheal_can]

For all the lines, what are the average number of cars per train for each route?

 

[DSC]

Well the equipment on the ocean and Canadian wont last forever.

And possibly give the option for overnight trains between Toronto and Montreal through Ottawa like they once did?

When I lived in Montreal (1972-2002) I often came to Toronto on the overnight train to attend meetings, if I remember right, the train left Montreal about 11pm and parked near Brockville for several hours and arrived in Toronto about 7am. Just in time for a good breakfast at the Royal York, a walk to a 9am meeting and home again on the 5pm train. It was definitely cheaper (or no more expensive) to do this with a sleeper than a flight and a hotel and far more reliable and I never had problems expensing it. I was very sorry when they stopped it.

 

[roger1818]

Are there still viewliners to be delivered for Amtrak? With Biden being the next president, it looks like good news for Amtrak as per his previous record. Could VIA add themselves to a potential order for viewliners sleepers? Would that be a good choice?

It doesn't look like Siemens has a sleeper version of their Venture cars that is already available.

Would there be any other candidates that could quickly be brought up to production assuming that finding becomes available?

Weren't Amtrak planning on also buying new Superliners? They would be arguably better for western services as the lower doors make for easier boarding at low platforms and the bi-level design would give a better view through the mountains.

They wouldn't work for eastern services though as they aren't compatible with Montreal's high platforms. If Siemens could make a sleeper version of their Venture cars, that would be easiest for VIA, as they could more easily mix and match with the corridor fleet.

 

[Darwinkgo]

So you mean to say that your company rather pay $60.00 for a train ticket plus $140.00 for a hotel? I think that depends on the organization, and although it's meant for business users that's not to say that non business customer's would not take advantage of the service.

Yes, since transportation costs have strict lowest available cost requirements. Would need a public exhortation campaign aimed to companies to change policies which undercut overnight train travel to fix it.

 

[tmlittle]

Yes, since transportation costs have strict lowest available cost requirements. Would need a public exhortation campaign aimed to companies to change policies which undercut overnight train travel to fix it.

I think this really needs to happen regardless, and some companies that have gone the "corporate social responsibility" route could probably be convinced of it with the right incentives. Otherwise they're just externalizing the costs onto society and the environment.

 

[smallspy]

Do you know what equipment is used for those trips? Does go have anything other than the bombardier bilevels? It seems like their standard bilevel trains would provide far more capacity than is needed while also falling short on comfort and luggage storage.

GO only has BiLevels in their fleet, so yes, it's those.

For all the lines, what are the average number of cars per train for each route?

You're going to need to a be slightly more specific if you want any sort of meaningful answer. VIA's train lengths can vary from 2 cars on daily Toronto to London train via the "back route" to 30 car Canadians.

Dan

 

[micheal_can]

GO only has BiLevels in their fleet, so yes, it's those.



You're going to need to a be slightly more specific if you want any sort of meaningful answer. VIA's train lengths can vary from 2 cars on daily Toronto to London train via the "back route" to 30 car Canadians.

Dan

That's actually what I am wanting. So, for example, along the Corridor, what is the shortest and longest normal train? What about the same elsewhere on other routes.

 

[Bordercollie]

Yes, since transportation costs have strict lowest available cost requirements. Would need a public exhortation campaign aimed to companies to change policies which undercut overnight train travel to fix it.

I mean VIA could actively campaign businesses in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal to promote such a train and give corporate discounts to those companies that use the train. That would be the smart thing to do.

 

[micheal_can]

I mean VIA could actively campaign businesses in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal to promote such a train and give corporate discounts to those companies that use the train. That would be the smart thing to do.

Or even a simple campaign about how much safer the train is during the pandemic.

 

[DSC]

That's actually what I am wanting. So, for example, along the Corridor, what is the shortest and longest normal train? What about the same elsewhere on other routes.

Your question really cannot be answered better than it already has been. VIA changes the length of trains based on expected passenger load and certainly at holiday periods the Toronto-Montreal route sees far longer trains than it has in 'normal times'.

 

[roger1818]

Or even a simple campaign about how much safer the train is during the pandemic.

Safer than what? Flying? One thing that prevents VIA from doing this is as a subsidized crown corporation, they can't compete to hard with the private airlines, otherwise they will call foul and apply political pressure to the government to have it stopped. That is one of the reasons why HSR has never been funded and HFR has a better shot, as it is marketed as trying to compete with the automobile, not the airlines.

 

[smallspy]

That's actually what I am wanting. So, for example, along the Corridor, what is the shortest and longest normal train? What about the same elsewhere on other routes.

There is the aforementioned 2-car train, but it is the only one of that configuration.

At the beginning of this year VIA's Corridor cycle used 25 trains (the current schedule requires fewer), including the one above. Several trains (7, if I go by memory) were of fixed "top-and-tail" configuration, made up of a loco, a business class car, 4 economy coaches, and another loco. Three more trains had a single loco and a baggage car, a business class car and ranged from 3 to 5 economy coaches. Two trains were made up of Renaissance equipment, and operated only between Québec and Ottawa. The rest of the trains were between 3 and 6 cars and a single loco, almost always a single business and the rest economy coaches.

Dan

 

[micheal_can]

There is the aforementioned 2-car train, but it is the only one of that configuration.

At the beginning of this year VIA's Corridor cycle used 25 trains (the current schedule requires fewer), including the one above. Several trains (7, if I go by memory) were of fixed "top-and-tail" configuration, made up of a loco, a business class car, 4 economy coaches, and another loco. Three more trains had a single loco and a baggage car, a business class car and ranged from 3 to 5 economy coaches. Two trains were made up of Renaissance equipment, and operated only between Québec and Ottawa. The rest of the trains were between 3 and 6 cars and a single loco, almost always a single business and the rest economy coaches.

Dan

Thank you, that's what I am looking for.

Anyone know what the Ocean and Canadian usually run? I know summer is longer and winter is shorter.