Canada by train, what a concept! Again we have enjoyed train travel across Canada. The Canadian service remains a premier classic in Silver & Blue dining and accommodations. The Park Car Dome and Bullet Lounge again the highlight to Toronto.

The corridor train between Toronto and Montreal (night train) was the contemporary Renaissance equipment, you either love it or hate it! On good authority, rumor has it the night train will no longer operate after September 1, 2005. Ridership has been low. If this is true, the demise of the overnight corridor train will make it impossible to take a continuous cross Canada rail journey with out a stopover.

We chose a schedule on The Ocean to Halifax and return to Montreal that would use the Budd built classic stainless cars, having experienced the Renaissance equipment last year. VIA is trying hard to please the east coast travelers by adding a Park Car to the Renaissance consist; a Renaissance Baggage car has become a “transition car” by employing a standard coupler on one end and the unique Renaissance coupler on the other, this way the Park car remains compatible with the classic Budd equipment. I suspect VIA took lessons from model train buffs that often employ a KD coupler on one end of a NMRA horn hook equipped model creating a transition car!

Try as they might VIA may be fighting a losing battle; staff and travelers generally do not like the Renaissance equipment. One Park Car does not satisfy the wishes of passengers in 8 sleeping cars. Countless other objections must be overcome, the bathroom light cannot be turned off, the air-conditioning blows down on the top berth without occupant controls, and the shower soaks everything in the bathroom including towels and roll paper. The service car has so little seating that passengers are asked to return to their confined bedrooms with little opportunity to view the countryside.

Via would do well to extend the Montreal –Halifax Ocean to Toronto and add a couple of single level dome cars such as they purchased from BC Rail for use on the Skeena. The Ocean is the longest running, regularly scheduled and “named” passenger train in Canadian history. Christened in 1904 the route follows the Intercolonial Railway constructed in 1876. Lets hope VIA can meet the expectations of the traveling public in the very near future.

Traveling by rail, what a concept? What do the British and Europeans tourists know that we don’t? More of them use our National passenger carrier than residents. In these days of environmental concern nothing moves people more sensibly than steel wheels on steel rails. Remember, use it our lose it and support WCRA objectives not only to preserve railway heritage but also to encourage passenger rail travel.