Canadian VIA Rail late running

[ardbealach]

Picked up today Saturday 23 December on https://asm.transitdocs.com that the westbound Canadian running from Toronto toi Vancouver is running 13 hours and 19 minutes late.  No reason given but my question is - how does VIA Rail deal with crew changes in running this late and do the train crews have a time limit on how long they work?  

[TheSignalEngineer]

I'm not sure if the staff all travel with the train. The on-board staff used to at one time, changing when they passed one going in the opposite direction. The biggest problems would be that a late running train in one direction puts the other one late by the same amount, and that fuelling is done by road vehicles meeting the train at stops as are the supplies of food for the dining cars.

[Dava]

The long distance VIA trains routinely run late, this is nothing unusual, mainly because CN prioritise freight over the passenger train paths. Weather, ice and other operational issues are factors too.

 

Dava

[Siberian Snooper]

I did the Canadian last year, it was 8 hours Late arriving in Toronto, which put our departure back by nearly 3 hours, we then had a medical emergency, which required an ambulance and we lost another couple of hours, we then had a fire, which lost us another hour or so. New loco crews were always on hand at relief points even when we were up to 12 hours late, by cutting back on scheduled stop times we were only 8 hours late in Vancouver.

[BR60103]

Trains columnist Fred Frailey wrote up his trip west on the Canadian. Several entries on this page.

http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/fred-frailey/default.aspx

[TheSignalEngineer]

Looks as if when I did it eastbound in 2006 we were lucky only to be about 3 hours late when we got to Toronto. Most of the delay was due to a failed freight between Kamloops and Jasper. We did get a clear run for the last 12 hours so made up a bit there.

[ardbealach]

Thanks for that information on late running - take a flask and some sandwiches for the trip then!  If lateness is routine, no doubt this is built into the planning.  I accept freight has the priority on the tracks in North America. (AM)

[Dava]

Thanks for that information on late running - take a flask and some sandwiches for the trip then!  If lateness is routine, no doubt this is built into the planning.  I accept freight has the priority on the tracks in North America. (AM)

I'd suggest a hamper of goodies, catering being a bit intermittent, and at least half a bottle of something warming!

 

Dava

[Siberian Snooper]

The train I was on, the catering was always up to scratch even when it was un-programmed, There was always plenty to drink in the dome cars.

[jsp3970]

Things got bad on VIA 2 on Christmas Day.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/via-rail-stranded-spy-hill-1.4464542

 

At least the people of Spy Hill, Saskatchewan saved the day.

[Siberian Snooper]

Things got bad on VIA 2 on Christmas Day.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/via-rail-stranded-spy-hill-1.4464542

 

At least the people of Spy Hill, Saskatchewan saved the day.

 

It's surprising how people rally round and help in adverse situations, such as this.

[John_Hughes]

It's surprising how people rally round and help in adverse situations, such as this.

 

Surprising? Not in Saskatchewan it isn't; they're the most friendly and helpful people on God's good earth, and I'm proud to count many of them among my friends.