Catching the Canadian in Winnipeg

In May 2000 Ursula and I flew to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to attend a wedding.

With VIA’s Canadian being tri-weekly, I was hoping to see it since we were visiting for just a few days.

On May 11 I ventured to the Forks in downtown Winnipeg, an historic site, meeting place and green space located at the confluence of the Red and the Assiniboine rivers.

From the Forks Market Tower I was able to get a good view of the arriving eastbound Canadian. Here are some photos of VIA train No. 2 arriving at Union Station.

Photographs by Edward Ribinskas

Canadian to Resume Serving Toronto on Saturday

The Canadian, the fabled transcontinental passenger train of VIA Rail Canada, will resume operating east of Winnipeg on Saturday, April 11.

The Canadian will depart from Toronto on that day for the first time since a Canadian National crude oil train derailment in March blocked the route. Since then, the Canadian has been operating only between Vancouver and Winnipeg.

The first train to operate from Vancouver to Toronto will depart on Friday, April 10.

Through May 1, VIA Nos. 1 and 2 will operate twice weekly. The frequency of operation will expand to tri-weekly for the summer. VIA said in a statement that the Canadian will remain subject to delay.

The railroad also said that its new Prestige class service, which had been suspended while the train did not operate to and from Toronto, will now be available for every trip.

“The number of available bedrooms will differ, however, because some [equipment]sets may have a Prestige Park but not a Prestige Chateau; others will have a Chateau but not a Park.

VIA expected to have seven bedrooms (Park and Chateau) per departure effective May.

VIA May Seek New Ontario Route for Canadian

VIA Rail Canada may be in the market for a new route for its transcontinental Canadian, which has suffered months of late running over its congested Canadian National route through Northern Ontario.

On March 11, the famed streamliner was suspended between Winnipeg and Toronto in the wake of two CN derailments of crude oil trains.

One route that VIA is reportedly eyeing would put the Canadian back on Canadian Pacific tracks for part of its route.

The Canadian began as a CP train and many have long argued that CP has the more scenic route through the Rocky Mountains.

However, VIA seems to be most interested in using CP tracks east of the Rockies between Winnipeg and Sudbury, Ontario.

VIA CEO Yves Desjardins-Siciliano said last November in an interview with Railway Age that using CP east of Winnipeg would give it a more scenic route closer to the Great Lakes while also serving more communities.

For now, VIA’s primary concern is to ensure that the Canadian is ready for operations by the summer tourism season.

It could take up to two months for VIA to study the CP route and negotiate a contract with CP to host the train.