Canada, VIA Rail

Canada, VIA Rail


I've spent my holiday in Canada this september, and made some trips by train.

Canada is one of the biggest countries in the world, but has very limited train services for passengers.
Trains are almost always delayed, because of the highly densited freight traffic on the lines.
I've made 4 trips, and the delays were always between 20 and 30 minutes because of this.




Railway bridge in Montréal, near Bassin Peel. This is one of the most densed tracks in the country, with several trains per hour during the morning peak.


Abandoned bridge.


Train de banlieu de Montréal. (Suburban train)








Long distance coach.


All trains are diesel pulled.


Amtrak train 68 "Adirondack'' to New York.


There is one daily trainset Montréal- New York.














Montréal - Toronto


Interior of train Montréal - Toronto, 2nd class. The luggage space in the overhead compartments
is compareable to the ones in airplanes.


Tracks, some section the trains reach 160km/h, but often it's slower.




A stop on the route. Canada has only long distance trains, and this train stops +- once every 70 kilometers.
In smaller places along the route, stations simply don't exist. The concept of regio trains doesn't excist here.


Loc of the train to Toronto. This loc has a max speed of 160kmh.


A refurbished coach.


Toronto Union Station




Suburban train, operated by GO.




Scenic ''dome'' car.












Torontu Union Station and skyscrapers as seen from the CN Tower at 350 hight.


The Union station is the largest transport hub in Canada.


Trams in Toronto


Toronto has the largest tramway network of North America. The trams are called ''Streetcar" and are operated by
RTC, which also runs the busses and metrolines in Toronto. There are also new Bombardier trams in Toronto.


The streetcars have the same pantographs as trolleybusses have.


Streetcar in front of the tallest building in Canada, the 298meters high First Canadian Place


Union station from the CN Tower by daylight.


Railway museum (partly free entrance), several hundreds meters behind the Union station.








Amtrak train to Niagara Falls


I took the train from Toronto to the famous Niagara falls, 130km away from the city.
The trip is 2 hours, and is only once a day; 08.20h from Toronto, and back at 17.45h from Niagara.
This is part of the Toronto - New York Maple leaf train.


Interior of the Amtrak train. All seats are in drivers direction, there is a pull under the seat to turn it at the terminal
station, before going back.




Catering coach.






Arriving at border station Niagara (Canada). The trainstaff is changed here for American staff.


The train has Amfleet one coaches.








After 30 minutes stop, the train continues to USA.


Maple Leaf train to New York over Whirlpool bridge over Niagara River.


The Niagara Falls.




For the price of 0,50$ you can pass a pedestrian bridge to the USA, and for another 6$ you can buy
a visa to enter the USA. I did that, to see the falls on both side. It took only 10 minutes to pass the border patrol.


Bus operated by the suburban transport company of Toronto in Niagara.


Québec ville


Train Chemin de fer Charlevoix at Chute Montmorrency.
This scenic railway is operated with a former Deutsche Bahn BR628 trainset.


Gare du Palais at Québec ville.


Train Québec ville - Montréal - Ottawa in Québec ville.


Ready to go.


Hall in Montréal.

And one video of a freight train, which our train can pass by via a third track. The freight trains are enormous in length and height as you can see...


I have started filming after we are already 1 minute next to this train... It must have a length over 3 kilometers!

O intrebare- care este explicatie utilizarii (si in Canada , dar si in alte tari precum SUA, Australia, Rusia, etc) a locomotivelor monocabina, cu post de conducere doar la un singur capat ?

Utilizarea acestor tipuri de locomotive impune mentinerea in statiile de la capatul liniilor a placilor rotative sau a triunghiurilor de intoarcere, pentru rebrusarea acestor tipuri de locomotive!

In rest- ca si aspecte generale a retelei feroviare canadiene, se poate remarca utilizarea inca pe scara larga a traverselor din lemn cu prinderea sinei cu crampoane (o tehnologie destul de veche de prindere a sinei de traversa), putine linii electrificate si putine linii (comparativ cu lungimea totala a retelei feroviare canadiene, care este foarte mare) pe care circula trenuri de calatori (in special de lung parcurs), dar si vagoanele de calatori, care par a fi mult mai masive decat cele din Europa.

New tram in Toronto.


Metro in Monteal.

ldh80 a scris:

O intrebare- care este explicatie utilizarii (si in Canada , dar si in alte tari precum SUA, Australia, Rusia, etc) a locomotivelor monocabina, cu post de conducere doar la un singur capat ?

Utilizarea acestor tipuri de locomotive impune mentinerea in statiile de la capatul liniilor a placilor rotative sau a triunghiurilor de intoarcere, pentru rebrusarea acestor tipuri de locomotive!

In rest- ca si aspecte generale a retelei feroviare canadiene, se poate remarca utilizarea inca pe scara larga a traverselor din lemn cu prinderea sinei cu crampoane (o tehnologie destul de veche de prindere a sinei de traversa), putine linii electrificate si putine linii (comparativ cu lungimea totala a retelei feroviare canadiene, care este foarte mare) pe care circula trenuri de calatori (in special de lung parcurs), dar si vagoanele de calatori, care par a fi mult mai masive decat cele din Europa.

aceste instalatii (placi) exista in toate depourile si nu se pune problema unor rebrusari dese. Si depourile sunt depouri....datorita numarului mare de masini ce trebuie remizate la marfa. Nu vorbim de remize razlete cu 2 linii. Apoi e vorba si de o anumita cutuma nord americana plecata de la inceputul tractiunii diesel si care se pastreaza si azi. Trebuie sa intelegi ca la ei transportul de calatori e o "cenusareasa". E ca sa fie. Marfa e 95% din trafic si pentru marfa au tot monocabinele, dar cele care permit vizibilitate in ambele capete...Transport de calatori masiv nu mai face de la inceputul anilor '60. Masina e de baza (de aia scria mai sus colegul forumist ca nu exista curse regionale) si avionul. Distantele intre orase sunt imense (distanta intre Montreal si Toronto e vreo 550km si aici vorbim de doua metropole apropiate, Cand mergi spre vest.... Si mai conteaza si nivelul de trai putin...adica salariul mediu raportat la pretul biletului de avion

Da, se foloseste masiv lemnul si pentru ca rezerva de lemn a tarii este enorma si pentru calitatile excelente ale lemnului care il fac foarte rezistent la frigul din zona Quebec (nu va doresc o iarna acolo). Ce sa faci cu traverse de beton cand ai ploaie de gheata saptamanal, umezeala care ingheata in zona Marilor Lacuri (Toronto).... De fapt, in cele doua orase lemnul este folosit masiv inclusiv pentru reteaua telegraf/curent si isi face treaba excelent. Dar, asa cum scrie mai sus colegul nostru, viteza trenului este de 160 km/h adica viteza maxima a locomotivei ! Intre Montreal si Toronto, acolo unde autostrada merge paralel cu linia am masurat viteza marfarelor in jurul a 100km/h.
Noi avem traverse de beton si electrificare si mergem cu....stiti voi mai bine.
Canada este singura tara din G7 care nu are linii de mare viteza si la cat costa implementarea acestora/numar calatori raportati nici nu cred ca isi va face curand pentru ca...nu merita. Ii cam imping americanii de la spate, da' n-au tragere de inima. Cand nu ai calatori care folosesc trenul, la ce sa bagi miliarde ? Pentru marfa nu faci TGV. N-au facut-o nici europenii, ei nici atat.
Raportat la dimensiunea tarii, reteaua caii ferate este fix pixu. Sunt sub Romania la capitolul km retea/suprafata datorita imenselor teritorii din nord unde ajungi numai cu "soferii gheturilor"

Referitor la dimensiunile vagoanelor, par masive, live sunt chiar ingramadite datorita acestei solutii "aero". Asa cum vedeti arata ca un fuselaj de avion. Nu stiu daca ajuta mult la aerodinamica-de fapt sunt sigur ca nu- dar....asa sunt. Totusi, gabaritul canadian este mult mai mare ca cel european. Gabaritul maxim e 6.7m inaltime /4.9 latime. Comparati voi cu ce e in Europa. Vagoanele cu care a calatorit Caspar au 3,8m inaltime, 3 latime si 25.9 lungime. Atarna 48t. Voi stiti mai bine cifrele pentru vagoanele romanesti si puteti face comparatii interesante, sunt convins. Si, sa nu uit, V max 201km/h.

Caspar, very good job ! The pictures from CN Tower are ....absolutly beutyfull. I visit the tower only by day, today i realise what i messed If you have more pictures with the canadian raylway stuff, i will be gladd to see.

Si...daca imi dati voie sa mai adaug ceva raportat la o discutie pe care o vad mereu pe forum: diesel vs electric, linie neelectrificata vs electrificata.
Cred ca pentru calator diferenta modului de tractiune nu conteaza. Nici pentru administratia feroviara atata vreme cat ai locomotive performante si eficiente. Si ca vorbim de cifre si performanta, ce vedeti in poza sunt : locomotiva EMD F40PH (aia pe care scrie Via) si P42DC (aia pe care scrie Amtrak). Ambele sunt masini moderne sau up-datate din generaii mai vechi (EMD-ul face juma de veac de cand e pe baricade). Date complete gasiti cu duiumul pe internet pentru ca la ei administratiile de cale ferata nu prea stiu ce e aia "secret de stat"

Sunt sigur ca sunt profesionisti pe forum care stiu ce inseamna o masina diesel de putere 4250CP (cat are p42) cu Vmax 160 km/h si un cost de operare de $0.16 persoana/km (sunt curios daca puteti obtine de undeva cifre de cost in Romania pentru materialul nostru rulant)....
Sunt locomotive de generatie noua, care respecta si normele de poluare si care fac fata nevoilor din acea zona. Pana la urma locomotiva este un produs functional.

Kettle Valey Steam Railway in Summerland - British Columbia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPulisjOFhg