It's looking highly unlikely VIA will be offering an extra round trip between Toronto and Niagara Falls this summer. The
Bike Train site indicates that GO trains will be providing the service this year. VIA will, however, be participating in this program on other routes.
The GO Niagara Falls weekend service being offered makes use of idle equipment which sees use in other GO services during weekdays.
If GO were to begin a weekday Niagara Falls commuter train service (there are already GO buses serving this market), there would have to be new locomotives and rolling stock purchased to accomplish it. Even if this did come to pass, which I think it someday will, I don't believe this would obsolete a demand for VIA's service. In other markets served by GO trains such as Oshawa, Oakville, and Brampton, there are enough customers willing to pay a premium price for VIA comfort over a much shorter distance.
If VIA chose to abandon the Niagara Falls route I don't know if Amtrak would consider stepping in. But, if they did decide to do so, I expect that it would be more like the Adirondack rather than the Cascades and make additional stops in Ontario. If Amtrak terminated the Maple Leaf on the New York State side of the border, I doubt that many passengers would think to take a taxi, or whatever, to connect to a GO train, and Greyhound and Coach USA would pick up much of this business.
Ken V. Moderator: Most things Canadian.
Any time could be train time!