News   May 06, 2024
News Roundup for May 6, 2024
 339     0 
News   May 06, 2024
Looks All-But Finished, Isn't
 993     1 
News   May 03, 2024
Assembly's Blueprint for Sustainable Urban Living in the GTHA
 1.4K     1 

VIA Rail

Recent article:

Via and CN news

Published on: April 12, 2019 | Last Updated: April 12, 2019 11:37 AM EDT

Here’s some news from the world of trains.

Via Rail Canada will be putting on another passenger train for the peak tourist season. Via will start operating an extra Edmonton to Vancouver and Vancouver to Edmonton service starting on April 30.

On April 30, the Vancouver-Edmonton service (Train No. 004) will begin service. This train will operate until Oct. 8. The Edmonton-Vancouver train will begin May 3 and operate until Oct. 11.

Each train will run once a week.

Meanwhile, CN is constructing a second track on its mainline at Entrance, west of Hinton. Construction will consist of five miles of track.

“The project will enhance the safe and efficient flow of rail traffic,” CN spokesman said Alexandre Boule.

“CN plans to invest approximately $370 million across Alberta in 2019 to expand and strengthen

the company’s rail network throughout the province.”
Click to expand...
 
Wasn't sure if this should go in the VIA thread or the HSR thread, so I'll add it to both.

The 2019 budget and a conversation I had at the lockdown have added some clarity to the SW ON rail/bus situation.

Here is what the budget says on page 73 (in summary);
  • Will examine options for improved connection between London, KW and Toronto to spur economic activity by improving mobility and travel reliability. Practical options for improvements to existing rail corridors in collaboration with private sector partners to optimize passenger and freight rail. Also will include improvements to highway network and inter-community bus service. Will consult with affected municipalities.
  • Province has paused capital funding for HSR and is actively exploring opportunities to enhance train speeds and service levels on existing railway corridors, as well as opportunities for inter-community bus services or other transit solutions that better support the immediate needs of SW On
  • Province is completing an analysis of new and existing rail service options that consider the various impacts to area stakeholders
  • Province has listened to the residents in SW On about the concerns with HSR
  • Province will bring forward a transportation plan for SW On by fall, 2019
All in all, it looks like just what we hoped for.

I decided to submit a written question at the lockdown – basically that I loved all this and wondered if the Province has been consulting with the Feds or VIA. A Senior Policy Advisor for the Premier came by to answer. I was pleased how informed he was on the topic. He indicated
  • Province has been dealing with senior VIA leadership. VIA made a proposal to them. This was a surprise to me and contradicts what VIA told us last week. He wouldn’t reveal any more details.
  • He mentioned that the other part of the calculus is CN and CP carefully guard their capacity (of course, we know this, but I was pleased that he did also)
  • I reminded him that we need federal cooperation and money, as intercity rail is their responsibility. He agreed
We need to discuss next steps.
Peter Miasek, Transport Action
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
smallspy said:
It should be noted that this Vancouver to Edmonton train is being used instead of adding the third weekly frequency to the full Canadian route this summer. It is hoped that this will not be a long-term change.

Dan
Click to expand...
The article doesn’t report anything new as both, VIA’s 2019 peak schedule for the Canadian and CN’s extensive work programme which necessitated the temporary suspension east of Edmonton of the summer-only third frequency have already been known and publicized for at least half a year...
 
^Is there data available about load factors east and west of Edmonton? I have seen comments suggesting that the trains aren’t sold out east of the Rockies, but are consistently sold out west of Jasper. Much as I would like to see more service everywhere, with a fixed fleet size the 2-east/3-west pattern might actually be a more rational matching of capacity to demand.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
^Is there data available about load factors east and west of Edmonton? I have seen comments suggesting that the trains aren’t sold out east of the Rockies, but are consistently sold out west of Jasper. Much as I would like to see more service everywhere, with a fixed fleet size the 2-east/3-west pattern might actually be a more rational matching of capacity to demand.

- Paul
Click to expand...
There are no load factors publicly available on a per-segment basis, but dividing the fares east and west of Edmonton by the distance travelled (e.g. Toronto-Edmonton by 3221 km and Edmonton-Vancouver by 1245 km) should give you some indication. Less frequencies will never help with matching the passengers’ time constraints, but it allows to operate the trainsets with one night layover at either end, which will finally mean that late (or even next-morning) departures of train 1 should be a thing of the past...
 
Last edited:
Definitely interesting as it covers most of the Canadian area the old HSR plan was supposed to (Winsdor & London being the main ones)- combined with upgrades to the current trackage, could this be an alternative to HSR?

Kitchener/Waterloo isn't covered, but it would likely remain serviced via GO to Toronto.
 
jje1000 said:
Definitely interesting as it covers most of the Canadian area the old HSR plan was supposed to (Winsdor & London being the main ones)- combined with upgrades to the current trackage, could this be an alternative to HSR?

Kitchener/Waterloo isn't covered, but it would likely remain serviced via GO to Toronto.
Click to expand...

Cant be because this service is provided by a foreign entity. Wheres our train down to Detroit?
 
cplchanb said:
Cant be because this service is provided by a foreign entity. Wheres our train down to Detroit?
Click to expand...
It might use a VIA trainset down to Detroit? I don't know, just judging based on the route destinations and the image of the trains.
 
I think this would be a route best served by a night service. It's about 800 km, meaning you could have a late evening departure from Toronto which would get to Chicago by early morning, and vice-versa. Say an 11pm departure and a 6am arrival.

At 8-9h, it's a distance which, if done during the day, takes up pretty much a full one. Considering I can fly YYZ-ORD for about $150-200 one way in only 1h30, it's unlikely to be particularly attractive unless it's significantly cheaper. And if we base ourselves off the fact that a ticket to Ottawa is regularly $70-90 for 400km, I'd imagine a ticket to Chicago is likely to be somewhere around $150-200, roughly the same as flying. Much as I enjoy taking the train personally, I'd probably be hard-pressed to justify taking VIA on that route.

But if I can pay the same price for a basic berth, save $150 on a hotel room, avoid having to take the plane in the middle of the day, and gain an extra day of travel, the train would be the obvious option. No need for dining or any of the bells and whistles found on routes like the Canadian - just a bed and a good price.
 
Aylmer said:
At 8-9h, it's a distance which, if done during the day, takes up pretty much a full one. Considering I can fly YYZ-ORD for about $150-200 one way in only 1h30, it's unlikely to be particularly attractive unless it's significantly cheaper.
Click to expand...

Which is exactly why the market for this is not so much Toronto-Chicago as it would be say London-Chicago or Toronto-Ann Arbor. Train rides this long are rarely about terminus to terminus passengers.

Aylmer said:
But if I can pay the same price for a basic berth, save $150 on a hotel room, avoid having to take the plane in the middle of the day, and gain an extra day of travel, the train would be the obvious option.
Click to expand...

Sleeper trains are dying. Even in Europe. The economic case for them is poor. They can't give you a high speed train ride and a berth for $150. And if it's more, you'll fly or drive instead.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/12/europe-night-trains-sleeper-service
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top