Amtrak and Via Rail introduced the "Maple Leaf" along the Hudson River and Erie Canal on April 26, 1981. The "Maple Leaf" replaced Buffalo–Toronto connecting service operated by Via and the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway, the latter of which discontinued passenger service that day. The new "Maple Leaf" was the first collaboration between the two companies and the first direct New York-Toronto passenger service in a decade, the last being an overnight TH&B, New York Central, and Canadian Pacific Railway train called "The Ontarian" (Buffalo-Toronto) that ended in 1967. That earlier train began as the "Cleveland Limited" westbound, with sleeper passengers having a continuous carriage ride (eastbound riders joined the "Ohio State Limited" for the Buffalo-New York City leg). By contrast, the modern "Maple Leaf" was a unified New York City-Toronto train. There was also a similarly New York City-Toronto named "Maple Leaf" operated by the Lehigh Valley Railroad from 1937 until 1961, a train which traveled through northern New Jersey and northeast Pennsylvania.