Thanksgiving in Toronto was about to begin. Shortly before noon, two teenagers swung down from the Pacific’s cab. Just as they hit the station platform, two peeps came from the cab communication whistle. The fireman turned around, waving a good-bye, and Canadian Pacific train 326 was in motion — 11 minutes away from its final […]
Zone & Region: Canada
VIA Rail Canada to begin second ‘Ocean’ round trip on Dec. 8
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada will add a second weekly round trip of its Montreal-Halifax train, the Ocean, beginning Dec. 8. “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,” Cynthia Garneau, VIA president and CEO, said […]
Land negotiations begin for Lac-Mégantic bypass
LAC-MÉGANTIC, Quebec — Negotiations for purchase of the land needed to build a rail bypass around Lac-Mégantic and the surrounding area have begun, Transport Canada reports. The submission of the first offers is part of an ongoing process of rerouting the Canadian Pacific main line away from the community devastated by the 2013 derailment and […]
Amtrak service to Canadian cities remains on hold
WASHINGTON, D.C. — While Greyhound announced last week that it will resume cross-border intercity bus service between U.S. and Canadian destinations Nov. 8, no firm date has been finalized for restoring Amtrak trains serving Vancouver, B.C., Toronto, and Montreal. U.S. citizens have been able to visit Canada since Aug. 9, but Canadians won’t be able […]
CP and KCS project dramatic rise in daily train counts
WASHINGTON – Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern say their proposed merger will generate significant traffic growth, with daily train counts on the combined system’s north-south spine projected to more than double within three years. The traffic details were among those included in the railways’ 4,342-page, 1-gigabyte merger application filed with U.S. regulators late Friday. […]
CP to build additional hydrogen locomotives, fueling facilities
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific will expand its hydrogen locomotive development program from one locomotive to three after receiving a $15 million grant from Emissions Reduction Alberta. The grant, announced Monday, will also allow the railroad to develop hydrogen production and fueling facilities. It matches the $15 million CP had already planned to invest in […]
Fatigue likely contributed to 2020 collision between VIA train, CN hi-rail vehicle
GATINEAU, Quebec — Fatigue on the part of a signal maintainer may have been a factor in a December 2020 collision between a VIA Rail Canada passenger train and a Canadian National hi-rail vehicle, according to a Transportation Safety Board of Canada report released Tuesday. In the Dec. 6, 2020, incident at Les Cédres, Quebec, […]
Gaspe peninsula
Gaspe peninsula Canadian National train 119 is at the division point of New Carlisle, 104 miles into its 202-mile trip from Gaspe to Matapedia in 1975. Bill Linley photo […]
Improperly adjusted bolts led to Ottawa light rail derailment
OTTAWA — Improperly adjusted bolts led to the Sept. 19 derailment that has shut down Ottawa’s O-Train Confederation Line, according to a Wednesday report to the city’s transit commission. CTV News reports Rideau Transit Group, which has the operating and maintenance contract for the Confederation Line, said improperly torqued bolts on the train’s gearbox were […]
New Ottawa transit chief will face ongoing light rail issues
OTTAWA — The city of Ottawa has a new head of its transit system to deal with the ongoing issues regarding its light rail Confederation Line. The Ottawa Citizen reports Renee Amilcar, who spent almost 20 years with Montreal’s transit agency, began her new duties as general manager of OC Transpo on Monday — the […]
News Photo: Dome-observation returns to VIA’s Churchill train
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Dome-lounge-observation Tweedsmuir Park brings up the rear of VIA Rail Canada’s Churchill-Winnipeg train No. 692 at Roblin, Man., on Oct. 18, marking the return of the Park class cars to the remote-service train for the first time since spring 2020. The train’s nine-car consist — including three coaches, three Chateau-series sleepers, a […]
TSB finds no evidence train caused fire that devastated Lytton, B.C.
GATINEAU, Quebec — No evidence links railway operations to the fire that destroyed the town of Lytton, British Columbia, in June, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said in a Thursday news release. This means the TSB’s role in the investigation is complete “unless new information establishes that a TSB reportable event occurred.” The fire […]
