That is when inspections revealed serious defects in several bridges, most notably the tall structure crossing Grande Rivere near Pabos Mills, Quebec, and a curved trestle between Perce and Gaspe. After several brief resumptions over only a portion of the route to and from a connection with the Montreal-Halifax, Nova Scotia, Ocean at Matapedia, VIA suspended the Gaspe train entirely in August 2013. Coastal erosion following a December 2016 winter storm took out more right-of-way.
In 2017, Quebec’s government pledged $73 million for repairs to the now publicly-owned tracks as far as Port Daniel-Gascons, where a cement plant is located.
Now federal funding will focus on repairs to 10 segments on 79 miles from Port Daniel to the end of the line at Gaspe. The money comes from the country’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, a program designed to “help communities build the infrastructure they need to better withstand natural hazards such as floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and droughts,” according to a government press release.
In 2017, VIA Rail Canada spokeswoman Mariam Diaby told Trains News Wire that the company would, “resume service in the area once the tracks are deemed safe for passenger operation.” Since then, however, the stainless steel Budd sleepers, dome lounge Skyline cars, and coaches that connected with the Ocean at Matapedia have been deployed to augment some of the Ocean’s British-built Renaissance cars that have succumbed to rust and operational maladies. The equipment has also been utilized on the Winnipeg-Churchill train during whale- and polar bear-watching seasons.
Track and right-of-way repairs are expected to take more than a year, giving VIA an opportunity to figure out how and to what extent it plans to restore service.
2001 there were several Budd cars on the Ocean for the Chaleur but the power and a couple of cars were at Matapedia, the train would be made up at Matapedia, I call it a pocket streamliner of Budd cars. Operations varied I believe based on the season. Bridges were a problem then but I heard someone had the idea to use slat water for weed control, not a good idea. Sounds so —– not sure if that is true.
The Gaspe train did not connect to the Ocean at Matapedia. The Ocean and the Gaspe train ran as one unit from Montreal to Matapedia where the Gaspe train was uncoupled from the Ocean and continued on to its destination. When I rode it some years ago the Gape train was a single poorly patronized Budd car that did meet the Ocean at Matapedia. You could do a one day round trip from Matapedia.
The Renaissance cars have problems? Who would have guessed? I did. I’m quite wrong, though, I didn’t think they last this long.