VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Beginning Monday, May 17, VIA Rail Canada will begin operating its flagship train, the Canadian, across its full route from Vancouver to Toronto. The train has been operating between Vancouver and Winnipeg, Manitoba. The first westbound trip from the Ontario city is set for Sunday, May 23. Service will continue to operate one round trip per week, but the eastbound days of operation differ from the current Vancouver-Winnipeg trains, which depart Vancouver on Fridays.
A VIA spokesman tells Trains News Wire this schedule is confirmed through July 15, with other departures until then cancelled. Reservations after that date have not been cancelled, but “an update for service beyond that date will be shared as soon as possible.”
Service will be offered in coach (Economy class) and Sleeper Plus (“Cabin for One” roomettes and “Cabin for Two” bedrooms) but no berths will be sold, and Prestige Class is now officially suspended through Sept. 15
As is currently the case, health regulations of the various provinces preclude access to common areas like lounge cars and domes, but sleeping car passengers may make reservations for breakfast and dinner in the diner, with lunch served in their rooms. Coach passengers are offered cart service. More information about menus and other restrictions is available here.
Elsewhere, with COVID-19 cases rising, the Montreal-Halifax Ocean is suspended indefinitely, the Prince Rupert, B.C.-Jasper service continues to operate once weekly without the Touring Class Panorama dome, and there will be no sleeping cars on Winnipeg-Churchill, Man., trains until at least September 15.
VIA says existing bookings on cancelled departures will automatically be refunded without penalty.
Did they repaint the coaches?
Apparently covid cases are rising rapidly in Canada.
And for reasons not completely clear to me, vaccination rates in Canada are far behind the US.
So Canada might be in for a rough summer.
But I wonder: why no sleeping cars Winnipeg-Churchill? Amtrak has found that sleeping cars are desirable for the social distancing these accommodations offer.
And with so few trains operating, finding sufficient sleeping cars shouldn’t be a problem…
VÍA Rail makes even more senselessly than Amtrak.
A once weekly train, taking 5 days, with no dome car? Norris Krump’s descendants ought to revoke permission to use the Canadian name.
A four day trip without access to lounge areas or domes is worthless for tourists.
Anything less than daily is something out of the Fourth World.