Classic Streamliners - TRAIN​CYCLOPEDIA

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VIA Rail trains 42 and 56 arriving in Belleville from Toronto. 42 is leading, 56 is behind the second locomotive. Train 42 will terminate in Ottawa, train 56 in Montréal.      By Robert Taylor - originally posted to Flickr as VIA Rail Belleville_0002, CC BY 2.0,

ViaRail Network Map. Click image for larger view.

By User:Al guy - Underlying map data is public domain courtesy of United States Bureau of Transportation Statistics [1]. Route location is based primarily on the Via Rail route map, CC BY-SA 3.0,


Train Travel

Train Travel in Canada


Canada's railway system primarily transports freight, and freight has priority over rail-line use. Therefore, passenger trains are sometimes delayed. The country's two major railway companies, Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, turned over operation of their passenger services in 1978 to VIA Rail Canada, which was designed with the American role model Amtrak in mind. In addition to VIA Rail, a few smaller railways in remote areas of Canada also offer passenger service. Montreal (AMT), Toronto (GO), Ottawa (O-train) and Vancouver (West Coast Express) have commuter rail. A large number of companies offer excursion services primarily geared towards sightseeing and tours; in Calgary an expensive, seasonal private tourist train to Vancouver is the only scheduled intercity passenger rail.

For travel within Canada, the passenger rail system is (for the most part) a monopoly. For long distance travel, it can cost more time and money to travel by train than to fly; for short trips, it's usually cheaper to take the bus. Outside the Windsor-Quebec corridor, trains can be considered to be more hotels on tracks rather than a way to get from city to city. These trains offer comfortable seats or sleeping accommodations, unique scenic views, and meals at a premium price, if you have the extra time for the experience. Within the Quebec City - Windsor corridor, VIA Rail is more comparable to air travel; train travel will still take more time than flying, but taking the train in this region can be significantly cheaper than flying, considering baggage fees and taxi fares to and from suburban airports.

In a few remote regions, such as Churchill in northern Manitoba, rail has been left in service as it remains the only terrestrial means to reach a remote community. Conversely, a growing list of destinations (such as Prince Edward Island and the island of Newfoundland) have lost all rail service and rely instead on the Trans-Canada Highway or other road, ship or air transport.

Peak periods
The peak periods for most rail companies in North America are somewhere between March/April and September; however, you should check with the rail company. In the off-peak season, prices drop significantly on most carriers.

Tickets and passes
Canrailpass is valid on any train and route that VIA Rail operates and allows the holder one seat in Economy class (upgrades are limited). The pass allows passengers seven, ten or unlimited one way trips (with one stopover per trip allowed) within a 60 day period.

VIA Rail offers discounted fares to youth and seniors:

  Youth (12-25) and students (ISIC) get 30% off economy class, 10% off sleeper class, and 10% off multi-day passes (note: this includes the student discount)

  Seniors (60+) get 10% off economy class.

Additionally, passengers may be entitled to unadvertised discounts on top of these fares by being a veteran or member of the Canadian Forces, or through membership to some organizations and professional/alumni associations. At 2014, Hostelling international members are also eligible at 10% discount from Viarail.


Passenger Rail Companies
VIA Rail Canada is the one remaining national network, federally-owned and subsidized but still not inexpensive. Cross-country passenger service in three mainline segments Halifax-Montréal, Montréal-Toronto, Toronto-Vancouver.

Rocky Mountaineer Vacations Privately-owned, runs daytime sightseeing tourist trains from Vancouver-Banff-Calgary and Vancouver-Jasper. As there are no sleeper cars, a two-day trip incurs one night's hotel stay.

Ontario Northland Railwayis owned by the province of Ontario, and operates the Polar Bear Express tourist train (Cochrane-Moosonee) in the remote northern part of the province.

Canadian National Railway (CN) turned its passenger services over to VIA Rail in 1978, but acquired the Algoma Central Railway in 2001 and operates passenger services on this line, most notably the Agawa Canyon Tour Train.

Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) turned its passenger services over to VIA Rail in 1978 (and most were eliminated in 1986), but inaugurated its luxury Royal Canadian Pacific service in 2000. A limited six-day, five-night 31-passenger tourist train with 19 restored staterooms using 1919-1931 era rolling stock, this Calgary-Vancouver luxury run is niche marketed at typically $8,000/person; passengers must be 18 or over.

Amtrak operates trains from the U.S. To Canada on three lines. From Seattle to Vancouver on the Cascades; from New York to Toronto on the Maple Leaf; and from New York to Montreal on the Adirondack.

Tshiuetin Rail Transportation, ☎ +1 418 962-5530, toll-free: +1 866-962-0988, e-mail: 10-12 hrs of spectacular scenery from Sept-Îles to Schefferville, an otherwise-inaccessible mining community in northern Québec. This line is owned by three First Nations (Aboriginal) groups. This line does not connect to the rest of the North American rail system.

VIA Rail Canada
The Canadian, runs from Toronto to Vancouver via Sioux Lookout, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Jasper. VIA Rail's flagship service and now the only remaining service to cross Canada's prairies. The complete journey takes three days. A seat in Comfort (economy or coach) is around $550 before discounts; comfortable sleeper accommodations are also available.

The Hudson Bay. Connecting with the Canadian in Winnipeg, the Hudson Bay takes travelers from the south to the far north of the province of Manitoba, with three departures a week to Churchill via The Pas and Thompson. Native-owned Keewatin Railway Company operates a subsidized connecting service from The Pas to Pukatawagan  which reaches isolated native communities in that region of Manitoba. The train to Hudson's Bay is popular with winter tourists who travel north to see Churchill's population of polar bears and tends to sell out early.


Quebec-Ontario Corridor. VIA Rail offers its most comprehensive intercity passenger service between the cities of Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, Sarnia, and Windsor. This route operates more than 30 departures in either direction on weekdays, and is popular with business travelers and tourists due to fast services that are, in most cases, as fast downtown-to-downtown as commercial airlines.

The Ocean. Six departures a week make the journey from Montreal to Halifax via Riviere du Loup, Mont Joli, Campbellton, Moncton and Truro. The train operates with modern European Renaissance cars, famously purchased by VIA Rail when planned sleeper services through the Channel Tunnel from Great Britain to mainland Europe were cut.

Canadian National Railways

Special stops



See also:

Travel Across Canada

Train Travel in the U.S.A. [edited]

VIA Rail trains 42 and 56 arriving in Belleville from Toronto. 42 is leading, 56 is behind the second locomotive. - NFL Jerseys and Gear
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