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VIA Rail

robmausser said:
Also, Sarnia does not have a single bus service to it. Your options currently are train, or $500 plane from Pearson. Try and book a greyhound, you can't.

So, that means that there is little competition for service.

Peterborough already has a GO bus and Greyhound service.
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The other option are Airporter buses, but those are very expensive as well. You're looking at $190/person one-way with a single passenger to Detroit or London airports (neither have good transit to the city centres). If you've got a companion, or are willing to share a ride, the price goes down considerably. http://www.detroitmetro.ca/

Sarnia used to have two trains a day. VIA should be able to squeeze in a new RDC trip or two, connecting with Toronto-bound trains at London.
 
I know this isn't in the cards, but I would love to see RDCs running out of Union Station again. Stratford wants their VIA trips restored so maybe an extra Stratford-Toronto RDC train? I know its probably just a pipe dream, but seeing GO, UPE, VIA (trains and RDCs), and freight along the Weston Sub would be a train-watcher's dream.
 
alexanderglista said:
I know this isn't in the cards, I know its probably just a pipe dream, but seeing GO, UPE, VIA (trains and RDCs), and freight along the Weston Sub would be a train-watcher's dream.
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Yes, it is just a dream, and while you're entitled to your fantasy I would keep it quite separate from anything that is raised as a serious contender for this line. There are plenty of more marketable DMU's available these days. The post-WW II Budd RDC design is not where we should be putting our energies. There's a real risk that if we get behind that, VIA will only be funded to refurbish its existing fleet which is already a generation behind.

But if you do get traction on rebuilding Budd Cars, be sure to put in a good word for CN 6213 also. I'd love to see it run on the Weston Sub. :)

- Paul
 
nfitz said:
There's other options. Such as Bombardier's IC3 that VIA Rail has tested in-service previously on part of the Toronto-Sarnia corridor:
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I remember that being tested. I wonder what ever happened to that trainset. Is it still in use somewhere in Europe?
 
I'm a regular VIA customer, but today was my first time on a refurbished economy LRC with the 50/50 seating arrangement. I did not know they were going to be getting new seats for economy class, considering they had been re-upholstering the older green seats. Needless to say, the new seats are a great improvement! The power-plugs are also built in under the seats.
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Allandale25 said:
I remember that being tested. I wonder what ever happened to that trainset. Is it still in use somewhere in Europe?
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Not sure about that trainset in particular, but the IC3 is used between Copenhagen and Malmo. I was on it a few times this past October when I was there. It was the smoothest and quietest train I have ever been on.
 
I've been following the VIA 50/50 seating arrangement debate on another forum. I'd hate to be travelling backwards for 4-5 hours, and you're still unable to choose your own seat unless you book online, then call customer service if you don't like your seat assignment. (I often do this when I find that the seat automatically assigned to me ends up being one where the window doesn't line up.)

The reason why VIA wants to implement 50-50 seats is so it can quickly reverse trains without wyeing them; Montreal Central Station being the best example. Trains will usually pull into the station, unload, reverse to Pointe-St-Charles, wye, and back into Central for the next departure. I've been on trains from Toronto that wyed at Pointe-St-Charles before unloading us at Central Station. VIA has to wye trains on the corridor at Quebec City, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, London, Sarnia, and Windsor as well.

(Sidenote: VIA's Canadian is not wyed at Toronto, despite it being the terminus of that train. That's why it heads straight down the Bala Sub tp Union, unloads, continues to the TMC at Mimico for cleaning, servicing and maintenance, and backs in to Union for the next departure, running up the Newmarket Sub, changing to the York Sub at Snider - it backs up to make this connection - then up the Bala heading north-west.)

But how does VIA then want to reverse trains without wyeing them? They'd need new bi-directional locomotives, locomotives on both ends in "top and tail" operation, or cab or "cabbage" cars. Or they'd have to detach the locomotive, wye that, and run it around the passenger cars. Instituting 50/50 seats before figuring this out seems bass-ackwards, and isn't customer-friendly.
 
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ShonTron said:
(Sidenote: VIA's Canadian is not wyed at Toronto, despite it being the terminus of that train. That's why it heads straight down the Bala Sub tp Union, unloads, continues to the TMC at Mimico for cleaning, servicing and maintenance, and backs in to Union for the next departure, running up the Newmarket Sub, changing to the York Sub at Snider - it backs up to make this connection - then up the Bala heading north-west.)
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I've never really understood why they need to do that. Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier just to build a Wye at Mimico? I'd think a one-time infrastructure investment would be cheaper over time than going the Newmarket-York-Bala route in terms of fuel, running right costs to CN, staff time.
 
Allandale25 said:
I've never really understood why they need to do that. Wouldn't it be cheaper and easier just to build a Wye at Mimico? I'd think a one-time infrastructure investment would be cheaper over time than going the Newmarket-York-Bala route in terms of fuel, running right costs to CN, staff time.
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Because the Canadian, especially in the peak season, is too long to wye at Mimico. All other VIA trains, and the Amtrak Maple Leaf (and formerly the ONR's Northlander) can be wyed there
 
If you do something for long enough, you get used to it. In Ireland operations have (always?) been run-around/turntable and now push-pull/DMU/EMU so seating is 50/50. I can't remember anyone getting too bothered about it.
 
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