Via Rail, a federal crown corporation, formally assumed responsibility for CPR's passenger services on October 29, 1978, although the Via identity was not assumed by the trains themselves until the following summer. Following the takeover by Via, the "Canadian" became the company's premier transcontinental train, and initially operated over its old CPR route. It was supplemented by the former CN "Super Continental", which operated over the parallel, but more northerly, CN route. The "Canadian" continued to be operated in two sections east of Sudbury and provided daily service west to Vancouver and east to Toronto and Montreal.