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CBC News Canada Via Rail's Maritime-Quebec passenger service in doubt CN's Miramichi to Bathurst section slated for closure CBC News Posted: Jan 28, 2014 8:55 AM AT| Last Updated: Jan 28, 2014 9:09 AM AT
Related Stories â– CN Rail gets $25M from N.B. to keep northern freight line â– End of the line for daily Via Rail service in Maritimes â– Via Rail cuts concern workers and passengers
(CBC)
Via Rail says it could cancel passenger service from Quebec to the Maritimes if CN doesn't find an investor to buy a portion of its railway in northern New Brunswick.
CN announced last week that it will discontinue operations on a 70-kilometre section connecting Bathurst to Miramichi because their freight cars don't use the line.
"At this time it's still a hypothetical question, but if this section is abandoned we'll look into the commercial viability of all other alternatives, for connecting between Halifax and Montreal, before adopting any other route," she said.
CN said operations will be maintained on the tracks between Nelson Junction and Nepisiquit Junction for at least five months while the rail line is put up for sale.
Daily passenger train service in the Maritimes was scaled back to three days a week in October 2012.
Posts: 510 | From: Richmond VA USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by chrisg: The is the CN mainline to the south they will just move the train to it.
They don't seem to talk as if it's an option; that move will cost $50 million in track work and stations. Keeping the current line would cost less, but VIA says it hasn't got the money. A convenient excuse for discontinuance.
Posts: 510 | From: Richmond VA USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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If they move to the CN mainline it is a stright line between the two point currently served and would cost very little because of no stations needed on that line. Plus the train would run faster over the line.
Chris
Posts: 711 | From: Santa Ana | Registered: May 2003
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quote:Originally posted by chrisg: If they move to the CN mainline it is a stright line between the two point currently served and would cost very little because of no stations needed on that line. Plus the train would run faster over the line.
Chris
A straight run between the two points currently served by the Ocean?..... That’s a long way and it would miss a lot of potential passengers.
A stop at McGivney would serve Fredericton (metro pop. 100,000) and the capital of New Brunswick. Also the larger towns of Grand Falls, St. Leonard and a train would have to stop in Edmundston anyway.....a divisional and crew change point.
A train on this route also has the potential to attract US passengers. A new station in St. Leonard would be less than a mile from the old Bangor and Aroostook Station in VanBuren, Maine that hasn’t seen a passenger train since the Potatoland Special in 1960. Also Madawaska, Maine is just across the river from Edmundston, NB.
And at Estcourt you can't get much closer to the US/Canada Border. The bottom of the high railway fill at the south end of the lake IS the border.
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Thanks, gh, for the heads up. Here is part of the announcement on Trains.com
"Under the tentative agreement announced by Federal Transportation Minister Lisa Raitt and New Brunswick David Alward, VIA will provide $10.2 million in funding to CN for rehabilitation work on the line between Nelson Junction and Nepisiquit Junction. The plan still must be ratified by the boards of directors of VIA and CN."
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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The Chaleur is not back and it doesn’t look like it will be anytime soon..... but after the Ocean’s near death experience last spring it appears it is on much firmer ground now and with all the track work done on the Newcastle Subdivision over the summer and fall....the schedule will probably be tightened up a bit in the spring.
And a surprise this Christmas......VIA ran some extra Oceans on days it doesn’t usually operate and they also announced that besides regular Sleeper, Sleeper Plus Class will now be offered year ‘round.
Here’s the last of the Christmas extras making its way west through the Maritimes yesterday afternoon, Jan 3/15. The extra trains used a solid Budd Stainless-Steel consist. The other two consists remain with Renaissance equipment but they also have a Park Car Dome Observation on the end.
posted
Thanks for the update and encouraging news. Great photo - wish Amtrak would make a deal with VIA to use their excess cars for seasonal U.S. service!
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Mr. Palmland, in view of that VIA Rail cars cannot access Penn Station owing to undercarriage restrictions, where on Amtrak could they be seasonally assigned?
Once upon a time, circa 1965, I did observe CP "--Manor" cars at GCT in a "Montreal Limited" consist.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: Mr. Palmland, in view of that VIA Rail cars cannot access Penn Station owing to undercarriage restrictions, where on Amtrak could they be seasonally assigned?
Once upon a time, circa 1965, I did observe CP "--Manor" cars at GCT in a "Montreal Limited" consist.
In the spring of 1974 Amtrak leased several CPR "Chateau" sleepers for use on the Montrealer/Washingtonian and the Florida trains (Amtrak operated a thru Montreal-Miami sleeper then) The "Chateau" sleepers also operated between NY and Chicago.
The southbound Washingtonian that day had Chateau Levis and Chateau Dollier in the consist.
So the Chateau Sleepers did run through Penn Station in 1974.
But when VIA HEPed the cars in the late 1980’s and installed waste retention tanks.......they could no longer clear third-rail.
For US Thanksgiving In Fall 2012, Amtrak leased a VIA consist complete with a "Park Car" – Dome Observation to operate on the Adirondack between Montreal and Albany/Rensselaer only. To continue onto NYP.....passengers had to change trains.
Posts: 239 | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: Mr. Palmland, in view of that VIA Rail cars cannot access Penn Station owing to undercarriage restrictions, where on Amtrak could they be seasonally assigned?
Once upon a time, circa 1965, I did observe CP "--Manor" cars at GCT in a "Montreal Limited" consist.
But is it just on the Metro North lines, or also LIRR that utilizes Penn Station? And it may not matter - not sure. I have also heard of the restrictions, and it is due to the third rail.
How about Boston to Chicago section of the Lake Shore Limited, or additional NY section sleepers added at Albany. Dome would be nice too....
How about extra sleepers added Washington DC to Florida?
Posts: 337 | Registered: Jun 2003
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quote:Originally posted by jp1822: How about Boston to Chicago section of the Lake Shore Limited, or additional NY section sleepers added at Albany. Dome would be nice too....
How about extra sleepers added Washington DC to Florida?
Probably not worth the hassle: Different room configurations and types including open upper/lower berths to anything Amtrak offers in their reservation system now. And different electrical systems so the cars would probably have to run as a complete train.
Sure a dome is nice but it just doesn’t have the same allure to the majority as it does to the railfan. On all my trips on the Canadian…..about the only time the dome is crowded is for the area around Jasper. And a recent trip on the Ocean, only myself and a couple of others rode to Moncton and in the evening never more than six or seven with the views across to the lights of the Gaspe coast.
Even when Amtrak is running their Dome on the Adirondack…..it’s never full and the majority riding up there are probably railfans. Even with announcements about its availability…..others seem to sit for a few minutes then return to their coach seats.
Posts: 239 | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by jp1822: How about Boston to Chicago section of the Lake Shore Limited, or additional NY section sleepers added at Albany. Dome would be nice too....
How about extra sleepers added Washington DC to Florida?
Probably not worth the hassle: Different room configurations and types including open upper/lower berths to anything Amtrak offers in their reservation system now. And different electrical systems so the cars would probably have to run as a complete train.
Sure a dome is nice but it just doesn’t have the same allure to the majority as it does to the railfan. On all my trips on the Canadian…..about the only time the dome is crowded is for the area around Jasper. And a recent trip on the Ocean, only myself and a couple of others rode to Moncton and in the evening never more than six or seven with the views across to the lights of the Gaspe coast.
Even when Amtrak is running their Dome on the Adirondack…..it’s never full and the majority riding up there are probably railfans. Even with announcements about its availability…..others seem to sit for a few minutes then return to their coach seats.
Then they should put the dome on the Cardinal, as everyone was vying for space during the day and evenings when the dome was on this train. Course this all could have been because no one wanted to be couped up in their single level sleeper/coach. There were even people lined up waiting to get in the dome at 6:30 am (I was sound asleep and only heard about it later on).
The electrical systems can be overcome to run with Amtrak equipment (the cars would just have to be run rearmost. That rumor (or whatever it was) was finally clarified. Yes, I agree, you'd have different room types, but it could be done if one so desired. Before Viewliners and Superliners, Amtrak had a variety of room types to deal with.
Posts: 337 | Registered: Jun 2003
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