Hudson Bay Line to Churchill/VIA Service Suspensions

On VIA's new website, it appears that the Hudson Bay train from Winnipeg to Churchill is only running two days a week now? For some reason I thought this train always operated three days a week? Course there's always the possibility that I read the schedule wrong. Is this perhaps the "offseason" for the Hudson Bay train and VIA is trying to use the train cars on the Canadian, for example? I also noticed that the departure time from Winnipeg is now like 12 noon instead of around 9 p.m.? However, this still preserves an early morning arrival into Churchill (eventually), but unfriendly passenger arrival times at The Pas. Does this even allow for a resonable rail connection to Pukatawagan any more? And then on the return - departure remains around the same around Churchill, but it arrives into Winnipeg late afternoon, rather than in the early morning. Is this a temporary measure? Are they doing track work, as it would seem this schedule has certainly "slowed down" the train? And I assume there is no connection to/from the eastbound/westbound Canadian - like there once was when both trains were on different schedules for that matter.

It's also too bad the "Northern Spirit Cars" have never been able to be used on either the Hudson Bay train or even to re-establish overnight train service on the Toronto - Montreal/Quebec City Corridor. These former Amtrak sleepers reportedly never were able to withstand the Canadian cold weather. Does VIA Rail still have these cars and if so where are they? Still out of service being "stored?" I last remember seeing them, a few year ago now, outside the Winnipeg train station (in the yard west of the Winnipeg Station).

VIA Rail, in a press release, gave track work as the reason for the reduction of service to twice a week in and out of Winnipeg. The timings were changed because the train almost never ran even close to on time. I drew the inference that this was a temporary measure. But then so was the gradual lengthening of the Toronto-Montreal express trains #66 & 67 from 3 hours 59 minutes to 4 hours 38 or 47 minutes!

When I was in Winnipeg two months ago I saw some Northern Spirit sleepers in the yard of the Maintenance Centre west of downtown.

Well I hope the Hudson Bay Train gets restored to its normal/orignal schedule. Local communities seem to really rely on this train for service. And yes - that's where I saw the North Spirit Cars too. Guess they haven't been moved in quite some time! Any idea on how many Northern Spirit Cars there are? Again, it's just too bad VIA can't bring them in for some overhaul and use on the Chaleur or re-establishment of an overnight train on the Eastern Corridor. After all VIA did figure out how to "winterize" the Renaissance cars, which wasn't an easy task from what I've heard. These 10-6 Northern Spirit Cars came from Amtrak so one would think they would be a little more easier to winterize than the Renaissance fleet (largely the sleepers).

So chefs on the train to Churchill have been laid off, just like the Gaspé train they'll be back during peak season. This article provides a lot of detail, but incorrectly states that the train runs 3 times a week. Is the nuked food any good? Is it better than Amtrak's mediocre long-distance food?

Unfortunately, I think this too, was just a matter of time.

I just checked the VIA rail preference website. I wanted to look at the required point for a possible Québec - Winnipeg trip in the not-so-far-future, but I misclicked, and accidently hit the Winnipeg Churchill train in the ''Redeem points'' section.

I noticed that only the sleeper class is avilable for that trip, or at leats for redeeming points. Do any of you guys know why?

Coach is still an available option for regular travel on the Winnipeg-Churchill Train.......Not sure about how redeeming points works for this train.

Can anybody tell me what the consist is for this train?
What the service is like?
How is the food service?
Has anybody ridden this train lately?
Thanks...

The normal consist for this train is 2 F40 locomotives + baggage car + 2 coaches + dining car + 1 or 2 Chateau sleeping cars. It's been many years since I last rode this train so I can't comment on the service these days. There is no chef/cook so the hot meals are pre-prepared and reheated onboard. You can see the food menu at http://www.viarail.ca/en/travel-info/on ... r/out-chur" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I too, rode it a half dozen years ago. On my trip there was one modified (w/shower) 6-10 budd sleeper. The budd diner was half lounge car for the coach passengers (mostly locals) with the kitchen half reserved for the sleeping car(s) passengers. My porter was also the cook and the conductors were sometimes the servers. The meal service was bag lunches or sit down meals. I recall that the meals were very good, but can't remember the details - coach passengers ordering sit down could use the sleeping car part of the diner while eating.

Since the train is the only link with the south (NO highway) other than (expensive) flying, the locals used the train alot and almost filled the coaches, and turned it into a "block party". You're allowed to put anything on the baggage car as long as you load it yourself, and it was amusing to watch all of the things that the locals loaded.

My roomette was well taken care of during the two night trip. I did the trip (right around Labor Day) under the old schedule, arriving into Churchill at 8am and departing that same day at 8pm. There were three of us tourists on board, and at the depot was a guys with a little bus offering a 6 hour tour. It was, at that time, about $65@ for the tour, but well worth it. The area near Churchill is very scenic and we did see a polar bear and lots of Boluga whales, the former SAC base, etc. There are motels there but they don't look like much from the outside (I didn't spend the night there), and I hear are rather expensive. There was a restaurant in town with good food.

It's a great trip.

With the train to Churchill, from Winnipeg, seemingly getting longer and longer in print schedule form, does VIA ever add a dome car to this train. As opposed to having the diner double as a lounge and diner? With the train to Gaspe not running, and VIA still having a pretty descent fleet of Park cars and Skyline cars, was just wondering if a dome has or is considered for this route. The Ocean even ran with a Park Car year-round when a complete Budd set. I know that the Ocean is still running with a dome off-season, but it is just one instead of the two it used to have six days a week!

Sure it would be great for the railfan riding these remote services to have a Dome but are the added costs worth it? You have to staff a Park Car! Domes just don’t have the same allure to the average passengers.

I rode the Canadian last month and despite having nearly a full load in sleepers……the Dome was little used except for the last day in the mountains. Even then only about 2/3 occupied and there were those I met in the diner that I never once saw in the Dome.

(But then there the couple that basically hogged the two front seats most of the trip……even eating in shifts so not to lose “their” seats.)

Here’s the Dome on the afternoon crossing the Prairies and the previous day in northern Ontario was similar so you certainly had your pick of seats. It did get about half full for a wine tasting later in the afternoon.



All the times I rode the Ocean and the Atlantic when Easterly Class was offered the Dome was little used and you never had a problem finding a seat. About the only time it was close to being full was when the complementary breakfast was served in the Park Car. People would stay long enough for breakfast then return to their accommodations.

I certainly agree with some of the comments in the previous post.

As much as I'd like to go up to Churchill, I just am not sure if I could stand the journey just sitting in my room or the diner (as a lounge). I guess the later would suffice, but again, I just don't want to be "couped up" in my sleeper cabin for the entire duration. I would think if a Park Car was added to the train to Churchill, it would be like the Park Car on the train to Prince Rupert - not hugely patronized, but also NOT staffed. The car was never staffed when I rode in it even in peak season. All food service was handled from what was then "Totem Deluxe" (the Panorama Car). People roamed in/out of the Park Car at their leisure. And even though the Churchill train is truly a "remote service" necessitated train, passengers would likely enjoy having it along.

Interestingly when the Renaissance Cars were introduced to the Ocean, people lamented the loss of the Skyline and Park Car. And I agree that it was not well patronized except for late evening drinks or early morning breakfast. I was one of those passengers. But it got its share of passengers who were going "all the way" to Halifax up in the dome during the day. Complaints quickly arose from Maritime passengers about the Renaissance Service cars since they didn't offer any "lounge" and people kept "couped" up in their coach seat or sleeper cabin. The domes seemed to be more appreciated once "gone" than when they were "there." Course there were other issues the Maritime passengers had with the Renaissance cars. Interestingly, now that the Ocean is on a tri-weekly schedule, it has a dome car in the consist. Not sure if it is staffed all the time (I don't think it is during off-season), or how busy it actually is these days. But somehow VIA was conviced to add it back.

But a Park Car could be added to the Churchill Train without having to "staff it" with an attendant, just like they do with the Park Car to Prince Rupert. You'd have four extra bedrooms to sell to try and offset the cost of operating the car in general (non-labor cost). There is also a "peak season" on the train to Churchill (e.g. whale watching, Northern Lights) where I am sure a Park Dome Car would be appreciated.....

In a perfect world, all trains everywhere would carry a Budd dome-obs, and if VIA wants to spare a Park car, great. But for non-railfans, the Churchill service isn't exactly the sort of route that attracts people to a dome. It's basically several hundred miles of kind of flat, followed by more flat, and then more flat, and after that it's really flat. Oh, and did I mention that the scenery tends towards flatness, unless you're a really big fan of muskeg? Not exactly the CP through the Rockies, if you know what I mean.

Hey every little bit helps! You get even better vistas of the flatness with a dome