VIA Rail

[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.

 

[nfitz]

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.

I was surprised to see a train with locos on both ends, pass over me as I was walking under the tracks the other day.

Why use 2 locos and 5 coaches, if they can run 1 loco with 6 coaches? Is it for improved acceleration? I assumed it was some break-in thing ...

Is it so they don't have to turn the engine? And if so ... wouldn't some cab cars be a better deal?

 

[roger1818]

I was surprised to see a train with locos on both ends, pass over me as I was walking under the tracks the other day.

Why use 2 locos and 5 coaches, if they can run 1 loco with 6 coaches? Is it for improved acceleration? I assumed it was some break-in thing ...

Is it so they don't have to turn the engine? And if so ... wouldn't some cab cars be a better deal?

I presume it is to save them from having to turn the trains around.VIA doesn’t currently own any cab cars but all the trains in the new fleet will have them so it is a temporary solution.

I assume this is for trains West of Toronto as I have never seen this on trains in Ottawa and have often been on a train from Montreal that had to turn around at the beginning of the route. Maybe Windsor doesn't have a wye.

 

[nfitz]

I presume it is to save them from having to turn the trains around.VIA doesn’t currently own any cab cars but all the trains in the new fleet will have them so it is a temporary solution. I assume this is for trains West of Toronto as I have never seen this on trains in Ottawa and have often been on a train from Montreal that had to turn around at the beginning of the route. Maybe Windsor doesn't have a wye.

As I haven't been west of Bay since March, it was on the Kingston sub somewhere - but I don't recall where.

I suppose it could have been a Kingston train. Though I can't imagine why they'd need that power ... as I'd think 2 or 3 RDCs could do that run.

 

[roger1818]

As I haven't been west of Bay since March, it was on the Kingston sub somewhere - but I don't recall where.

I suppose it could have been a Kingston train. Though I can't imagine why they'd need that power ... as I'd think 2 or 3 RDCs could do that run.

Interesting. I don't think it would be for the extra power.

I haven't seen any trains since COVID, so it could be that with all the unused equipment, due to service reductions, they have double ended most/all of their corridor trains to save the cost of having to turn the trains around. If you think about it, even if it only takes 5-10 minutes to turn a train around, the cost in labour and track rights would add up.

As for using RDCs, even if VIA had some to spare (VIA only has 5 remaining), when new they only had a max. speed 85 mph (and given their age, VIA might not want to operate them at max. speed) which is slower than the top speed of 100mph for LRCs along the lakeshore. Granted the Kingston train has frequent stops and may not get to max speed very often.

 

[Bordercollie]

The turn around at Windsor takes about 30 minutes.

 

[robmausser]

Interesting. I don't think it would be for the extra power.

I haven't seen any trains since COVID, so it could be that with all the unused equipment, due to service reductions, they have double ended most/all of their corridor trains to save the cost of having to turn the trains around. If you think about it, even if it only takes 5-10 minutes to turn a train around, the cost in labour and track rights would add up.

As for using RDCs, even if VIA had some to spare (VIA only has 5 remaining), when new they only had a max. speed 85 mph (and given their age, VIA might not want to operate them at max. speed) which is slower than the top speed of 100mph for LRCs along the lakeshore. Granted the Kingston train has frequent stops and may not get to max speed very often.

We need to give up on the RDC's except for situations like the Vancouver Island railway or commuter solutions (i'd love to see them run from Orangeville to Brampton GO for example, or on the Fergus sub to Guelph GO)

But for intercity solutions, if we want DMU's, we should order something like the Union Pearson Express trains, new DMU's that can go 100mph and are reliable.

They are high floor, but so are VIA's current trains technically, they can be fitted with extending stairs.

 

[roger1818]

We need to give up on the RDC's except for situations like the Vancouver Island railway or commuter solutions (i'd love to see them run from Orangeville to Brampton GO for example, or on the Fergus sub to Guelph GO)

But for intercity solutions, if we want DMU's, we should order something like the Union Pearson Express trains, new DMU's that can go 100mph and are reliable.

They are high floor, but so are VIA's current trains technically, they can be fitted with extending stairs.

The Nippon Sharyo DMU used by the UPX actually have a maximum speed of 90 mph. For regional (a.k.a. stopping) trains, that might be good enough though, as acceleration is more important than maximum speed.

 

[robmausser]

The Nippon Sharyo DMU used by the UPX actually have a maximum speed of 90 mph. For regional (a.k.a. stopping) trains, that might be good enough though, as acceleration is more important than maximum speed.

They make different variants, for example the SMART trains use hydraulic transmissions, vs the mechanical gearbox for the UPX.

I'm sure if the procurement specified 100mph they'd be able to find a way to get to that extra 10mph.

Regardless I didn't mean those trains exactly, just a new FRA compliant DMU.