Improved comfort. High Frequency Rail would expand VIA Rail services to more communities while contributing to the reduction of road congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. Via had upgraded the past Wi-Fi system during 2011 with technology provided by Nomad Digital. Interactive Service Map. Visitors per year :457,645. The plan opts for a dedicated track between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City, offering more frequent trains (although running at conventional speeds). Over 150 scheduled trains per week were in operation, including transcontinental services, regional trains, and corridor services. [36][37] However, in June 2019, Halifax regional council voted unanimously to direct staff "not to pursue commuter rail service further...due to infrastructure requirements and associated financial implications, as well as operational considerations and restraints". System Map. VIA Rail’s second-busiest station is also the main transportation hub for the Island of Montréal, providing connections with regional and local trains, buses, and the subway system. What’s required, the thinking goes, is separate routes for passenger and freight.

[24][25] This issue arose due to typical siding sizes, which were not long enough to accommodate modern freight trains. In 1977, CN underwent a dramatic restructuring when it placed various non-core freight railway activities into separate subsidiaries, such as ferries under CN Marine, and passenger trains under Via Rail which was subsequently renamed Via Rail Canada. [33] This marked the completion of a procurement process launched following the 2018 federal budget, which allocated funding for the fleet replacement.

For example, trains could travel at speeds of up to 177 kilometres per hour (or 110 miles per hour), reducing travel times from Ottawa to Toronto to as low as 3 hours and 15 minutes from current travel times of approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes. That would mean more departures, shorter travel times and improved schedules that better fit your lifestyle.

Doesn’t VIA already have such an agreement with CN? [citation needed], The Mulroney cuts allowed Via to consolidate its fleet of cars and locomotives, resulting in a fleet of refurbished stainless steel (HEP-1 and HEP-2 rebuilds, for head end power) and LRC cars, as well as rationalizing its locomotive fleet with GM and Bombardier (LRC) units. Article content. Along with Moncton, Montréal is the site of one of VIA Rail’s two customer service centres. [36] The Quebec government announced funds for repairs to Chaleur trackage in 2017, with a completion date stated only as being "several years away.

Over 4.74 million passenger voyages were taken in 2018. Via Rail operates over 500 trains per week across eight Canadian provinces and 12,500 kilometres (7,800 mi) of track, 97 per cent of which is owned and maintained by other railway companies, mostly by Canadian National Railway (CN). There are seven major railroads in the United States (Class I railroads) and over 500 shortline and regional railroads (Class II & Class III railroads). High Frequency Rail is VIA Rail Canada’s proposal to transform passenger rail service in Canada. Despite plans to cap the number of passes sold at 1867 (the year of Canadian Confederation), over 4,000 passes were ultimately sold. VIA could provide more frequent service without begging CN for permission to run additional trains. [52][53][54] Later in 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all Via Rail trains were suspended with the exception of the Winnipeg-Churchill train as well as one train daily on each route within the corridor. Wi-Fi service has been added to the Ocean train in the service cars, and to the Canadian,[70] although connections are unreliable in most places outside urban centres. Size : 31 248 m2 Credit: VIA Rail Canada, Detail view of station stops on the proposed and current Toronto to Quebec City routes. There’s much to like in VIA’s so-called high frequency rail plan. [47][48] The federal government assisted in the purchase with $74 million of dedicated northern infrastructure money up front and an additional commitment of $43 million over 10 years.