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I am going to travel between NYC and Toronto with the Maple Leafe and noticed that in Canada the train will be operated by Via Rail Canada.
However, why are the other international trains operated by Amtrak all the way through (Adirondack, the Cascades)?
MDRR Member # 2992
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I believe it is governed by the operating agreements with the host (freight) railroads and their unions.
CN 6060 Fan Member # 3093
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VIA (and CN prior to that) has always operated a train service between Niagara Falls, Ontario and Toronto which stops at several communities between those points. Likewise, Amtrak operated a service between New York City and Niagara Falls, NY. When the Maple Leaf was inaugurate the two services were just combined. VIA crews operate the train while in Canada and sell their own tickets for the train. Under an agreement between Amtrak and VIA the train uses Amtrak equipment while in Canada.
(Prior to the inaugration of the Maple Leaf. Conrail and VIA jointly operated the "TH&B Dayliner" between Buffalo and Toronto via Welland)
The operation of the International between Chicago and Toronto was similar. An existing Amtrak train between Chicago and Port Huron was combined with an existing VIA train between Sarnia and Toronto but the handling of equipment was different over the years. Amtrak provided one set and VIA provided the other. The equipment ran through between Toronto and Chicago. You could also find a VIA loco with Amtrak cars or vice versa. In later years it was all Amtrak including Superliners. (For a Canadian it was great to be able to board a Superliner for a local trip from Stratford to Kitchener!)
The operation of the Cascades, Adirondack (and Montrealer too at one time) are different. There was no existing service on the Canadian side when these train were inaugurated. Amtrak began the service on their own accord. They do not handle local passengers while in Canada.
Amtrak did operate a service in Canada at one time which handled local passengers between Canadian points. This was the Empire State Express/Niagara Rainbow in the 1970's which ran on 250 miles of xNYC, xPenn Central, Conrail track across Southern Ontario between Detroit and Buffalo and onto New York City.
Until 1994, VIA operated the “Atlantic” across the State Of Maine without any Amtrak involvement. It handled local passengers between US points.
George Harris Member # 2077
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The Montrealer, Adirondack, and Cascades services are also descendants, even with time gaps, of pre-Amtrak trains on these routes that were operated by the CV, D&H, and Great Northern. CV was owned by Canadian National, so even though the tracks in Canada were CN, it was an in-house operation. Great Northern, and now BNSF operated all the way into Vancouver, BC, both passenger and freight, so these trains in effect never leave home rails.
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