VIA Rail

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by acottawa

I think Toronto-New York would be a good night service distance and time wise. The possibility of saving hotel nights in Manhattan might also make it cost effective. I think the challenge would be the border clearance. I think it would need preclearance in both directions.

The challenge isn’t border clearance, it is the fact that one can fly from Toronto to New York in less than 2 hours.

So, my choice becomes sleeping uncomfortably on a train, or sleeping well in my bed, taking an early flight and being well-rested.

Sleeping on any mode of transit sucks. It is a necessity, and there is a reason it is out of vogue except in places where it is the cheapest option.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by thewave46

The challenge isn’t border clearance, it is the fact that one can fly from Toronto to New York in less than 2 hours.

So, my choice becomes sleeping uncomfortably on a train, or sleeping well in my bed, taking an early flight and being well-rested.

Sleeping on any mode of transit sucks. It is a necessity, and there is a reason it is out of vogue except in places where it is the cheapest option.

It's making a comeback in Europe. Mostly because it can avoid a hotel night.

Taking an early flight sucks. Hotels in the centre of town can be expensive. A train can drop you off in the centre of town in the morning.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by thewave46

The challenge isn’t border clearance, it is the fact that one can fly from Toronto to New York in less than 2 hours.

So, my choice becomes sleeping uncomfortably on a train, or sleeping well in my bed, taking an early flight and being well-rested.

Sleeping on any mode of transit sucks. It is a necessity, and there is a reason it is out of vogue except in places where it is the cheapest option.

I wouldn't agree that it sucks. I remember taking the overnight Toronto-Montreal train once... it must have been around 2000 or thereabouts. I thought it was pretty awesome, I remember it vividly. I got on the train late at night in Toronto on a platform bathed in city lights, settled into bed for a good night's sleep, woke up the next morning and sat in the dome car sipping my coffee, eating a croissant and watching Montreal roll into view.

I don't remember how much it cost but it couldn't have been that expensive since I was a student at the time. It beat the Toronto-Montreal day trains hands down IMO, but I guess I must be in a minority because that train didn't last long from what I can recall.

[MonctonRad]

One of the first things I plan on doing when I retire in about three years time is take The Canadian cross country from Toronto to Vancouver. I view this as a "land cruise" and am very much looking forward to it. I have been in every province but MB, but there is a gaping chasm in my knowledge of the country from Espanola/Manitoulin to Saskatoon, and it needs to be filled. I think every Canadian needs to cross the Canadian Shield at least once.

I am looking forward to sleeping on the train in my own compartment.

[savevp]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I am looking forward to sleeping on the train in my own compartment.

I managed to do the Canadian in sleeper class just before the pandemic. The greatest thrill was waking up each morning with completely different geography outside your window.

[jamincan]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Each time they extended the line, they added infill stations. If London becomes the new terminus of the line, one could expect them to add some or all of the following former stations along the line: Thorndale, Kelly's, St Paul's, Shakespeare, New Hamburg, Baden. GO does not seem to know how to do express routes.

https://www.gotransit.com/static_fil...22/Table31.pdf

This is patently false. The only infill stations on the line that weren't prior VIA stations are in Brampton where they are well-used and necessary. They notably have not added (or plan to add) a station at Rockwood despite it being a prior passenger stop and having a greater population than any of the places you listed aside from New Hamburg/Baden. New Hamburg/Baden are the only spot I'd expect a future station to be added (aside from Breslau, which GO has already identified as a future stop), but only with a single station.

Are there any examples at all where GO has added infill stations like the ones you claim they inevitably will add?

My understanding is that the present schedule is not a good example of the regular schedule on the line because GO has been forced to adjust scheduling due to staffing issues related to Covid. Normally all (or almost all?) trips from past Georgetown are express to Union after Bramalea.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

One of the first things I plan on doing when I retire in about three years time is take The Canadian cross country from Toronto to Vancouver. I view this as a "land cruise" and am very much looking forward to it. I have been in every province but MB, but there is a gaping chasm in my knowledge of the country from Espanola/Manitoulin to Saskatoon, and it needs to be filled. I think every Canadian needs to cross the Canadian Shield at least once.

I am looking forward to sleeping on the train in my own compartment.

You won't regret it. It is a lovely way to go. If you're retired by then and in no particular rush, you might even consider stopping for a couple of days along the way to break up the trip a bit and see one of the interesting places along the way.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

It's making a comeback in Europe. Mostly because it can avoid a hotel night.

Taking an early flight sucks. Hotels in the centre of town can be expensive. A train can drop you off in the centre of town in the morning.

The other thing to think about is the spacing of the seats. There was talk pre covid of standing seats for planes. Most train seats have more space between them and the one in front of them. So, would you like to stand for 2 hours?

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/s...ing/index.html

Originally Posted by jamincan

This is patently false. The only infill stations on the line that weren't prior VIA stations are in Brampton where they are well-used and necessary. They notably have not added (or plan to add) a station at Rockwood despite it being a prior passenger stop and having a greater population than any of the places you listed aside from New Hamburg/Baden. New Hamburg/Baden are the only spot I'd expect a future station to be added (aside from Breslau, which GO has already identified as a future stop), but only with a single station.

Are there any examples at all where GO has added infill stations like the ones you claim they inevitably will add?

My understanding is that the present schedule is not a good example of the regular schedule on the line because GO has been forced to adjust scheduling due to staffing issues related to Covid. Normally all (or almost all?) trips from past Georgetown are express to Union after Bramalea.

Express to Union .... After Bramalea..... There is my point. Why not skip some stops further out? Because it would not fit into the GO method.

Let's look at the Northlander and RH line. They both take/took the same line. The Northlander did not stop at any stations along it. Now, with the Northlander coming back, there is talk of stopping at a few of those stations. Great, now you have added more time to an already long journey.

GO can do commuter well.
GO probably will do RER well.
GO(Government of Ontario) cannot do intercity well.

[Urban_Sky]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Each time they extended the line, they added infill stations. If London becomes the new terminus of the line, one could expect them to add some or all of the following former stations along the line: Thorndale, Kelly's, St Paul's , Shakespeare, New Hamburg, Baden. GO does not seem to know how to do express routes.

https://www.gotransit.com/static_fil...22/Table31.pdf

It really takes a special kind of fool to seriously expect that anyone would consider building a passenger rail station to serve the 20-something houses at St Paul's Station (MP 94) or the two farms at Kelly's Siding (MP 106):

Apparently the same kind of fool who doesn't grasp the less-than-subtle difference between having some trains skip stops at stations like Bloor, Weston, Etobicoke North and Malton (where you operate up to four trains per hour and have seven more stations down the line) or at a station like Acton (where you only operate up to two trains per hour and have only two more stations down the line):

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Express to Union .... After Bramalea..... There is my point. Why not skip some stops further out? Because it would not fit into the GO method.

[ssiguy]

Urban Sky.......................while i don't agree with swimmer_spe's idea of tiny little stops either, you don't have to be so damn rude about it. Calling someone a "special kind of moron" is uncalled for and denigrates the level of discourse.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

One of the first things I plan on doing when I retire in about three years time is take The Canadian cross country from Toronto to Vancouver. I view this as a "land cruise" and am very much looking forward to it. I have been in every province but MB, but there is a gaping chasm in my knowledge of the country from Espanola/Manitoulin to Saskatoon, and it needs to be filled. I think every Canadian needs to cross the Canadian Shield at least once.

I am looking forward to sleeping on the train in my own compartment.

I did it five years ago, with a three-day break in Winnipeg. I enjoyed it.

[swimmer_spe]

https://windsorstar.com/news/local-n...es-step-closer

Good news - CP has agreed to let Amtrak use the tunnel between Detroit and Windsor.

[Floppa]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

https://windsorstar.com/news/local-n...es-step-closer

Good news - CP has agreed to let Amtrak use the tunnel between Detroit and Windsor.

Based!

[Floppa]

It's times like these (the trucker blockade) that I really wish we hadn't torn up the Ottawa Valley Railway. IF only there were another way of travelling besides the highway.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Floppa

Based!

Huh?

Originally Posted by Floppa

It's times like these (the trucker blockade) that I really wish we hadn't torn up the Ottawa Valley Railway. IF only there were another way of travelling besides the highway.

I feel that with the multiple issues in the last few years, whether it be weather related, destruction of links, or blockades and convoys, people may be waking up to the idea that we need something better than the highways.
We will know it has happened when an inactive line or an inactive passenger route is reactivated that either Via/CN/CP ran and is run by Via.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Huh?

I believe it is the third usage.

WHAT DOES BASED MEAN?

Based is a slang term that originally meant to be addicted to crack cocaine (or acting like you were), but was reclaimed by rapper Lil B for being yourself and not caring what others think of you—to carry yourself with swagger.

Based has been appropriated by the alt-right online as a general term of praise, as if “un-woke.”

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Floppa

It's times like these (the trucker blockade) that I really wish we hadn't torn up the Ottawa Valley Railway. IF only there were another way of travelling besides the highway.

No way to shift things on such short-term notice.

I respect the right to protest, but this is kind of an empty gesture... protesting something that's only partially a Canadian issue. Can't control U.S. policy. Or can we?

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by acottawa

I believe it is the third usage.

WHAT DOES BASED MEAN?

Based is a slang term that originally meant to be addicted to crack cocaine (or acting like you were), but was reclaimed by rapper Lil B for being yourself and not caring what others think of you—to carry yourself with swagger.

Based has been appropriated by the alt-right online as a general term of praise, as if “un-woke.”

Oddly enough it regularly pops up in some of my online haunt chats as well such as Vaush, Destiny, Contrapoints etc. and they're not generally thought of as alt-right.

[JustForTheHalibut]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

One of the first things I plan on doing when I retire in about three years time is take The Canadian cross country from Toronto to Vancouver. I view this as a "land cruise" and am very much looking forward to it. I have been in every province but MB, but there is a gaping chasm in my knowledge of the country from Espanola/Manitoulin to Saskatoon, and it needs to be filled. I think every Canadian needs to cross the Canadian Shield at least once.

I am looking forward to sleeping on the train in my own compartment.

I've taken Via between Vancouver and Winnipeg and loved it each time. Jasper is a fav stop and arriving into Winnipeg's downtown station makes you think you're arriving in a large city.

One the the best experiences is seeing northern lights through dome car on a crisp clear night on the Prairies.

[jamincan]

I was in Paris, ON over the weekend and lucked out on catching VIA Rail heading west over the Grand River.



As an aside, I never realized despite cycling through there quite a few times that Paris has a pedestrian scramble at William and Grand River Streets. You can see the diagonals marked in the street view image, but they are now painted with zebra stripes like a regular crosswalk.