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  #481  
Old Posted Dec 9, 2019, 6:58 PM
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gehrhardt gehrhardt is offline
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Originally Posted by MonctonRad View Post
Yet another reason why they need a year round ferry to Campobello from Deer Island.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...7de_story.html
Here's a link to a similar story on the BBC (no paywall).

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49901455
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  #482  
Old Posted Dec 14, 2019, 11:06 AM
PEI highway guy PEI highway guy is offline
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Here's a link to a similar story on the BBC (no paywall).

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49901455
CBC radio show Day 6 is doing a story today on the subject of US Customs openning the mail of Campobello residents. I am sorry, I did not catch the time the show is on.
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  #483  
Old Posted Feb 15, 2020, 2:31 PM
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Interesting article in the T&T today.

It sounds as if the VIA Ocean may be in peril.

It's a long storey, but the meat of the matter is that the European Renaissance cars used by VIA on the service are not bidirectional (capable of travel both forwards and backwards at speed), and the only way VIA can use these cars on the east coast is because of a rail loop on Halterm property next to the downtown passenger train station. Halterm has apparently given VIA notice that they will no longer be able to use the loop as of November 1st. The only option VIA has is to back the train up to a "Y" shaped segment of track in Truro(!) to allow for decoupling and reversal. That would be 100 km of backtracking, which is obviously not practicable.

Apparently VIA is still looking seriously at an intercity service between Campbellton and Moncton, and Moncton and Halifax, which would be daily, but at the present time, this would be a replacement service for the Ocean.

If this transpires, the Maritimes would be cut off from the transcontinental passenger rail system, and to add insult to injury, the current luxurious service (dining car, sleepers, lounges) would be replaced with diesel pusher cars.

This sounds pretty outrageous to me!!!
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  #484  
Old Posted Feb 16, 2020, 11:42 AM
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Originally Posted by MonctonRad View Post
the European Renaissance cars used by VIA on the service are not bidirectional (capable of travel both forwards and backwards at speed)
There's some further information here: https://www.transportaction.ca/regio...iple-jeopardy/
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  #485  
Old Posted Feb 16, 2020, 1:06 PM
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There's some further information here: https://www.transportaction.ca/regio...iple-jeopardy/
IT appears VIA is not being pro-active in addressing these issues. As a person who came from a transportation family, ( at least 10 family members and myself worked for CN) THIS SADDENS ME.)
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  #486  
Old Posted Feb 16, 2020, 3:00 PM
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There's some further information here: https://www.transportaction.ca/regio...iple-jeopardy/
Thanks for this informative link. Everyone should read this.

It cleared up one misconception I had about the problems running the Renaissance cars in reverse. The loss of the loop at Halterm however is just one issue. There are at least two other issues imperilling the VIA Ocean.

Train service in the Maritimes may look completely different come November, yet nobody is talking about this. There is a complete absence of political leadership on this issue. Nobody worries about infrastructure any more.........
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  #487  
Old Posted Feb 17, 2020, 1:29 AM
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I don't think its as big of a problem as people think its is, one option that VIA can use is the return of an all BUDD stainless fleet, the Ren cars are outdated and will not be upgraded or rebuilt unlike the stainless cars which are going through a rebuild as we speak. Last Fall VIA tested out running the locomotives back to back, with the seating in those cars able to be turned or the cars rebuilt as 50/50 seating like the corridor that'll solve that problem, The park cars will likely come off but, be replaced with the SKYLINE lounge cars which can be in either direction (one can be in deadhead facing the opposite way until it reverses direction and becomes the last car on the train)..the issue or the only thing that has to be worked out is with the baggage car placement. They may be able to access the turntable in Rockingham yard to spin a car as well. This issue came to light in the fall when VIA was restricted from using that wye due to the port being busy and now they spin the train around in the middle of the night or late evening. VIA already did the studies on putting a WYE at Windsor Jct but, CN increased the price of construction of the switches (turnouts) required to complete that project. So I believe thats a dead issue unless the 2 RR's come to an agreement.

One thing that could happen MY THEORY... Come into and out of Moncton with an extra locomotive..the inbound crew takes 1 loco off in Moncton, along with the park car and turns the 2 by the CN Gordon yard and returns to the station and sets up the Park car to be coupled onto when the westbound arrives and the 3rd or extra loco gets added onto that same train.

Either way, I don't think its dooms day for the OCEAN, it may look different but, the ridership has dictated that it is a viable service. The 1st scenario came from a VIA employee that has heard that suggestion last year when VIA was going to be booted off Halterm's balloon track.
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  #488  
Old Posted Feb 20, 2020, 12:07 AM
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I'm no train expert but can't you just put a locomotive on each side of the carts so you'd have both directions covered or is that too expensive/not viable?
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  #489  
Old Posted Nov 12, 2020, 4:02 PM
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VIA Rail operational plan 2020-2024:
https://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/fil...orate_Plan.pdf

This section is of interest:

Quote:
2.1.6 The Ocean and the Halifax Rail Loop

VIA Rail’s Ocean service uses a rail loop to reverse the direction of its trains in Halifax, to allow for the return trip back to Montréal. The rail loop is located on Crown land within the port of Halifax and leased to Halterm, a foreign private entity. Halterm can no longer forego the square footage occupied by the loop and sought to terminate its contract with VIA Rail. Through mediation involving Transport Canada and Halterm, VIA Rail extended the contract until November 2020, at which point access to the loop will be lost. Without this access VIA Rail cannot operate the Ocean with existing equipment. VIA Rail has developed a solution that will ensure service continuity of the 115-year-old Ocean after November 1, 2020.

The revised train consist will have the main body of the train comprised of both HEP1 and Renaissance cars together with two F40 locomotives that are coupled back to back. The locomotives will be cut off the head (front) end of the Eastbound train at Halifax, switched on to an adjoining parallel track and will be coupled to what will be the head end of the Westbound train. In this manner the train has not been turned but the locomotives have swapped ends of the train. The use of Renaissance cars continues the availability of both the accessible coach and the sleeper with an accessible cabin, ensuring that a high level of accessibility is provided
So, they have come up with a solution allowing the ongoing survival of The Ocean (once the pandemic suspension is over)

I however saw no mention in the document (at least on quick scanning) regarding the proposal for institution of daily intercity rail between Moncton-Halifax and Moncton-Campbellton. This leads me to believe this proposal has been canned...……..
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  #490  
Old Posted Jul 10, 2021, 3:02 AM
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Via Rail to bring back Montreal-Halifax service
Service to resume Aug. 11, but with physical distancing measures in place
CBC News · Posted: Jul 09, 2021 8:10 PM AT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-b...real-1.6097259

Good news, but the service will only be once weekly in both directions for the time being, and the COVID restrictions being placed on passengers are pretty onerous. I can't imagine more than a handful of passenger tolerating this.
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Last edited by MonctonRad; Jul 10, 2021 at 1:27 PM.
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  #491  
Old Posted Jul 10, 2021, 11:51 AM
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I hold little hope of this run returning on a permanent basis.
This smacks of a set up, so they can run an even shittier service than they ever did before, so they can justify the lacck of uptake as the reason to cancel it once and for all.
Maybe I'm just old and cynical (ha! ya figure?) but I've used the train a half dozen times in my life, all of which ranked among the worst trips of my life.
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  #492  
Old Posted Aug 2, 2021, 2:26 AM
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Does anybody know if the Shepody Road between the 114 and the Fundy Trail Parkway is open yet? I believe it was projected to open this year but I never saw any announcement or anything.
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  #493  
Old Posted Aug 2, 2021, 11:46 AM
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Does anybody know if the Shepody Road between the 114 and the Fundy Trail Parkway is open yet? I believe it was projected to open this year but I never saw any announcement or anything.
Not open until this fall unfortunately - another wasted year.

On the other hand, the existing roadway between the east gate of the Fundy Trail Parkway back to Sussex is a delightful drive. I've done it several times, and it is very scenic, especially coming down from the Caledonia Highlands to the Dutch Valley.
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  #494  
Old Posted Aug 2, 2021, 2:51 PM
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It's too bad the province is taking so long to finish what will clearly be an economic generator of significance that will benefit from Moncton all the way to Saint John.
Still well worth the trip, though.
I drove the Shepody last year after leaving the parkway and thought, "Oh, all it needs is a coat of pave." A few days ago I cut across the road where it transects an ATV trail and they were digging it up about 20 feet deep - maybe even deeper.
So yeah, they're not quite done stretching out this project even after many decades of both provincial political parties flapping their gums.
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  #495  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2021, 5:07 PM
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https://www.trains.com/trn/news-revi...trip-on-dec-8/

Via Rail is to increase the frequency of the ocean line to twice per week. They plan on increasing it to pre covid levels eventually.
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  #496  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2021, 5:10 PM
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“The return of this second frequency of the Ocean is good news for our passengers who now have more travel options in time for the holiday season,”

I took The Ocean once around Christmas. Train was three hours delayed and took nearly a day from Montreal-Moncton.
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  #497  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2021, 5:28 PM
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I rode the Ocean often pre-pandemic and it was generally close to or on time on most occasions. The problem during the holidays is more are travelling.......the trains are extra long requiring double and triple stops at some of the smaller stations due to the length of the platform.

I hope to take the Ocean again in January!

The usual schedule for the Ocean is depart Montreal at 7pm and arrive Moncton at 130pm.......and dep Moncton at 530pm and arr Montreal at 10am.
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  #498  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2021, 8:26 PM
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Originally Posted by JHikka View Post
“The return of this second frequency of the Ocean is good news for our passengers who now have more travel options in time for the holiday season,”

I took The Ocean once around Christmas. Train was three hours delayed and took nearly a day from Montreal-Moncton.
Canada NEEDS high speed rail. Even if there was high speed rail from Quebec City to Montreal, it would cut the trip in half. The problem is the maritimes are isolated from the rest of Canada’s population so we will unfortunately never see it here.
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  #499  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2021, 8:51 PM
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Canada NEEDS high speed rail. Even if there was high speed rail from Quebec City to Montreal, it would cut the trip in half. The problem is the maritimes are isolated from the rest of Canada’s population so we will unfortunately never see it here.
I don't really see this as a problem. There's no demand for high speed rail in the Maritimes. There might be some limited demand for inter-city rail in NB, or commuter rail in Halifax, but on the whole that'll be about it. There's only a couple of corridors where HSR really makes sense in Canada.
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  #500  
Old Posted Nov 10, 2021, 9:38 PM
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I don't really see this as a problem. There's no demand for high speed rail in the Maritimes. There might be some limited demand for inter-city rail in NB, or commuter rail in Halifax, but on the whole that'll be about it. There's only a couple of corridors where HSR really makes sense in Canada.
Yeah. There's no reason for HSR between cities that are between 1-2 hours apart on roads so lightly trafficked there are literally never traffic jams. Plus, the only "viable" route would be Moncton-Halifax (in like 60 years) which would run right through literal mountains. With Charlottetown totally unreachable and Sydney almost more so, a 'rail triangle' in NB with Moncton connected to Halifax is the 'best' that could happen. But the single longest route is still a 3.5 hour drive through hilly terrain that would be hard to put a high speed rail line through.

Before money losing mega projects we should try and have an actual twinned or two+one between Saint John and Fredericton with moose fencing. Like it or not, road travel is the most practical way to get around the Maritimes forever.
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