VIA Rail

[smallspy]

Since VIA predominantly uses CN's track (with some exceptions), does CN dictate which numbers VIA can use, or can VIA use any number they want? It seems that, with the exception of the Sudbury-White River train (which uses CP track exclusively), VIA only uses numbers less than 100 and in the 600's.

Yes. Their train numbers need to work within the host railroad's numbering schemes, so that everyone can communicate with everyone else.

Thankfully, VIA's trains on CN already have a pre-set prefix - P. This is then followed by 3 numerical digits, a region code and then a date code. (Anything with less than 3 digits gets prefixed with 1 or 2 zeros.) This allows them to identify every train on their system correctly, even if there are multiple trains with the same number active (such as the Canadian).

Admittedly I know less about CP's dispatching system, but seeing as how CN's can handle 4-digit train identifiers, it may be that in the future we see that become their standard. GO has already done this.

Dan

 

[Urban Sky]

Not perfect, but no curfews will be broken.

To provide yet another example that VIA is recognized as an essential service:

Curfew
Since January 9, 2021, a curfew is in effect. Between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Quebecers must not leave their homes except in cases that justify travel.

Allowed exceptions:

• A person whose presence is required at the person’s place of work or who is transporting goods needed for the ongoing activities of the person’s enterprise;
• A person who is going to a pharmacy to obtain medication or pharmaceutical, hygienic or sanitary products;
• A person who must go to or return from a hospital, a clinic, or a dentist’s or optometrist’s office;
• A person who must visit a sick or injured parent;
• A student who must participate in a face-to-face evening class or go to a laboratory in a recognized school;
• A parent who must accompany his or her children to the home of the other parent who has custody of them;
• A person who, for final travel to the person’s destination, must take an inter-regional or inter-provincial bus, a train, a plane or a boat providing ferry service on the Matane Baie-Comeau-Godbout, Harrington Harbour-Chevery, Rivière Saint‑Augustin or Île d’Entrée-Cap-aux-Meules route, or a maritime service to Île‑de‑la‑Madeleine, Île d’Anticosti or the Lower North Shore operated by the Société des traversiers du Québec;
• A person who must go out so that his dog can do its business, within a radius of no more than one kilometre from the person’s place of residence or temporary residence;
• A person who must travel in order to comply with a court judgment, to respond to a summons to appear before a court, or to exercise custody or access rights as a parent;
• A person who must accompany to a medical appointment another person who is unable to drive;
• A parent who must accompany a sick child to the hospital;
• A person travelling to give blood under the supervision of Héma-Québec;
• A parent who must accompany an adolescent to his work.

Measures in force

Map of COVID-19 alert levels by region to find out the alert level in your region.

www.quebec.ca

 

[roger1818]

If that doesnt work for you, take the bus (Megabus is still running).

Except Megabus doesn't serve Ottawa (or Quebec City) and Greyhound still isn't offering service to Montreal from Ottawa. While I agree people shouldn't be doing non essential travel (be it intra or inter provincial) right now, there are reasons people need to travel (as @p_xavier highlighted).

 

[Urban Sky]

Except Megabus doesn't serve Ottawa (or Quebec City) and Greyhound still isn't offering service to Montreal from Ottawa. While I agree people shouldn't be doing non essential travel (be it intra or inter provincial) right now, there are reasons people need to travel (as @p_xavier highlighted).

I fully agree, but just a minor nitpick: Orleans Express has resumed service between Montreal and Quebec City and currently offers four round-trips per day (with some of them also taking advantage of its recognition as an essential service, just like VIA with trains 28 and 68):

https://www.orleansexpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/A-Grille-Horaire-OE-MTL-QC-Aout2020-E5.png

 

[roger1818]

I fully agree, but just a minor nitpick: Orleans Express has resumed service between Montreal and Quebec City and currently offers four round-trips per day (with some of them also taking advantage of its recognition as an essential service, just like VIA with trains 28 and 68):
View attachment 297909

https://www.orleansexpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/A-Grille-Horaire-OE-MTL-QC-Aout2020-E5.png

Nice to know. Then why did VIA prioritize same day round trip service from Quebec to Montreal over Ottawa to Montreal where no such alternative exists?

 

[Urban Sky]

Nice to know. Then why did VIA prioritize same day round trip service from Quebec to Montreal over Ottawa to Montreal where no such alternative exists?

You can’t just schedule trains without considering interdependencies with other services and routes, as was pointed out in a different forum:

I suppose there are questions of equipment and crew cycling that have to be taken into account when deciding which trains to keep and which to suspend. And I think some effort has been made to preserve connections; you can still do Quebec - Toronto or Montreal - Windsor in both directions (though Windsor - Ottawa is no longer possible). But the latest schedule is surely less than optimal.

Re: Corridor frequency reduction, Feb 2

groups.io

 

[roger1818]

You can’t just schedule trains without considering interdependencies with other services and routes, as was pointed out in a different forum:

Re: Corridor frequency reduction, Feb 2

groups.io

True, but for people traveling between Ottawa and Montreal, what connections are they likely wanting to make? As @p_xavier said, the new schedule doesn't' allow a connection on to Toronto. Minimum shift lengths aside, it would be better to split the Quebec-Montreal and Montreal-Ottawa segments into separate routes during COVID. It might make connections between Ottawa and Quebec long, but it would allow day trips to Montreal.

Admittedly, as scheduled, train 24 was kind of useless. It was too early to allow any connections and too late to give you any significant amount of time in your destination for a day trip. That is why I feel an earlier departure would be better.

For day trips to Ottawa from Montreal, a train each way between Toronto and Ottawa could be extended to Montreal. Given that these trains would also go to/from Toronto, it could replace Toronto-Montreal trains. Yes they would be slower (and Cornwall would loose a train each way), but at least there would be service.

 

[p_xavier]

True, but for people traveling between Ottawa and Montreal, what connections are they likely wanting to make? As @p_xavier said, the new schedule doesn't' allow a connection on to Toronto. Minimum shift lengths aside, it would be better to split the Quebec-Montreal and Montreal-Ottawa segments into separate routes during COVID. It might make connections between Ottawa and Quebec long, but it would allow day trips to Montreal.

Admittedly, as scheduled, train 24 was kind of useless. It was too early to allow any connections and too late to give you any significant amount of time in your destination for a day trip. That is why I feel an earlier departure would be better.

For day trips to Ottawa from Montreal, a train each way between Toronto and Ottawa could be extended to Montreal. Given that these trains would also go to/from Toronto, it could replace Toronto-Montreal trains. Yes they would be slower (and Cornwall would loose a train each way), but at least there would be service.

Train 22 was in place until September where it was replaced by Train 24, which screwed me there but not as much as right now. Between Montréal and Ottawa, VIA is also a commuter service, with it HSF will even be more the case. VIA failed us really bad.

I'm lucky to have a sizable salary, a normal commuter would not be able to afford a cab.

 

[Urban Sky]

Train 22 was in place until September where it was replaced by Train 24,

Minor nitpick without any intention of invalidating the frustrations you just shared:
Train 24 was introduced on September 1 (as third frequency besides 22 and 28), whereas Train 22 was withdrawn on October 27 (when the number of frequencies was scaled back to 2 in the early days of the second wave).

 

[p_xavier]

Minor nitpick without any intention of invalidating the frustrations you just shared:
Train 24 was introduced on September 1 (as third frequency besides 22 and 28), whereas Train 22 was withdrawn on October 27 (when the number of frequencies was scaled back to 2 in the early days of the second wave).

My bad, I only took the 22 in September, and then 24 in November due to new COVID policies put in place at my work.

 

[roger1818]

Train 22 was in place until September where it was replaced by Train 24, which screwed me there but not as much as right now. Between Montréal and Ottawa, VIA is also a commuter service, with it HSF will even be more the case.

Back when I would travel to Montreal for business (before COVID), I always found the interval between trains 22 and 24 long. For me, one of the advantages of the train is that I could work on it, so there was really no need for me to get up bright and early to start my work day on the train at 6:00am, so that I could be in the office for 9:00 am, but a 10:17 departure from Ottawa was needlessly late and I always felt guilty saying I wasn't going to be in the office until after lunch when I took it. Even if I took my younger daughter to school in the morning, I would be killing time at the train station.

A departure sometime around 8:00 am would have been perfect. Work for a couple hours on the train and be in the office by 10:30. While everyone's needs are different, I can't imagine I was the only one like this. Hopefully HFR will fix this.

 

[nfitz]

What mandatory reason would you have to move between regions? Possibly for work (essential worker)?

We were discussing cases where people commute. There's no magic line at the border that stops people commuting to work - which remains allowed - even after curfew in Quebec, assuming the work is essential.

I've worked in Ottawa with people commuting from West Island (they'd tend to drive in a couple of times a week). Driving on the 401 from Montreal, it's pretty clear that there's people commuting from Cornwall into Quebec (which unlike Ottawa to Montreal, has never had CN/VIA service as far back as I can remember).


Possibly to meet a family member who is ill? There aren't as many reasons. Even when we where in the grey zone the train was only 25% occupied, and that was before the stay at home order. So I dont think 10% occupancy justifies running every train, but you can still get to your destination and back, it might not be on the same day or as convenient as before but you still can.

If that doesn't work for you, take the bus (Megabus is still running).

I'm not aware of anyone providing bus service from Ottawa to Montreal. Can you provide a link?

I have no issues with VIA completely cutting all services. I'm simply noting that they (like Greyhound) aren't providing essential services.

 

[TFC]

COVID-related scheduling issues aside, are there still plans to introduce an additional roundtrip between Stratford and Toronto at some point in the future? Additionally, is anyone aware of any corridor/track improvements that have taken place between London and Kitchener ever since CN reassumed operations from GEXR on the north mainline?

 

[Admiral Beez]

Lost VIA stations...

 

[smallspy]

COVID-related scheduling issues aside, are there still plans to introduce an additional roundtrip between Stratford and Toronto at some point in the future? Additionally, is anyone aware of any corridor/track improvements that have taken place between London and Kitchener ever since CN reassumed operations from GEXR on the north mainline?

GO is working on improving the signalling and adding sidings on their section - Kitchener to Georgetown.

CN is not interested in doing any improvements to their section of the line - it's more than adequate for their current and future needs. Any improvements would have to be paid for by VIA or the Province.

The ideal/plan for an additional roundtrip to and from Stratford is likely dead, as is the plan for the use of additional RDCs.

Dan