Info on Western VIA Operations from Recent Travels

In talking with a couple of attendants on the Canadian and Skeena trains I travelled on recently, appears VIA is looking to extend the Skeena from Jasper to Edmonton next year, but not sure if the fourth frequency in peak period will survive. Main reason to Edmonton - transportation (airport) and population hub. CN has supposedly agreed on the schedule and routing. I think this will be a great move on VIA's part.

VIA's also put in for operating 6 days a week between Jasper and Vancouver, during peak period - which is claimed to be summer. However, I would think the 6 days a week would also work well in the winter, or additional frequencies other than just three days a week between these city pairs.

Will VIA get back on the CP route between Vancouver and Calgary - lots of differing reports from VIA personnel I talked to on that one. We all know the political stronghold Rocky Mountaineer has on this route, but supposedly VIA is ready to step in at moment's notice if they get the green light. They've done market studies and all to state the service will work (no doubt in my mind). One thing in favor of VIA now is that CP is supposedly double tracking more of the route - on the Calgary end? I personally don't see VIA getting back on the CP route between Calgary and Vancouver as long as Rocky Mountaineer is on the line - but hey - Rocky Mountaineer has no problem in invading on VIA's turf - CN portion of the Canadian and soon the Skeena route (Prince George outskirts to Jasper).

I am not sure how new trains or adjustments to frequencies of existing trains work on VIA, but I kept getting the sense that "someone" just needs to sign off on it and its good to go.

The Enterprise indeed is history. But some VIA attendants and personnel questioned whether it would just come back in what seemed to be the peak period for this train - which I assume would be the summer when it gets the most of VIA's Canadian connecting passengers. There were a lot of people connecting to the Enterprise from the Canadian when I arrived into Toronto this month! And it was a weekday! I am sorry to see the Enterprise go - mainly due to its connection with the Canadian.

jp1822 wrote:In talking with a couple of attendants on the Canadian and Skeena trains I travelled on recently, appears VIA is looking to extend the Skeena from Jasper to Edmonton next year, but not sure if the fourth frequency in peak period will survive. Main reason to Edmonton - transportation (airport) and population hub. CN has supposedly agreed on the schedule and routing. I think this will be a great move on VIA's part.

And there's yet another possible advantage to this: if the Canadian and the Skeena were operated on alternate days, Via could have 6-day-a-week service from Edmonton to Jasper.

jp1822 wrote:VIA's also put in for operating 6 days a week between Jasper and Vancouver, during peak period - which is claimed to be summer. However, I would think the 6 days a week would also work well in the winter, or additional frequencies other than just three days a week between these city pairs. (...)

The last time Via tried to do this, the transport department refused -- and it was train-friendly David Collenette who was in charge at the time, to boot.

jp1822 wrote:(...) The Enterprise indeed is history. But some VIA attendants and personnel questioned whether it would just come back in what seemed to be the peak period for this train - which I assume would be the summer when it gets the most of VIA's Canadian connecting passengers. There were a lot of people connecting to the Enterprise from the Canadian when I arrived into Toronto this month! And it was a weekday! I am sorry to see the Enterprise go - mainly due to its connection with the Canadian.

I have used the Enterprise (westbound) twice, and both times patronage in the sleeping cars was rather light. Coach, however, seemed well-patronized for an overnight service.
I am sad to see this train go, but if the train is running at a loss *all the time* from Montreal to Kingston, I can understand why Via would want to eliminate the train and save some money.

I really don't get the Enterprise, because I had the opposite experience - travelling westbound and eastbound. Last year, 2004, I took the Enterprise three times, off the top of my head here were my round about travel dates:

1. Westbound in November on a Friday (sleepers full, coach empty)
2. Eastbound in July on a Tuesday (sleepers and coach moderately full)
3. Westbound in February on a Wednesday (sleepers full, coach empty)

I think two were connections with the Canadian and one was a business/vacation trip where I used the train. I am not that old, and the things I forget is quite scary at times!

I think VIA may get the 6 days a week between Jasper and Vancouver. Just my hunch from talking with the onboard staff. I don't want to name source, but what pushed me over the edge was - the who told me this particularly info worked in VIA offices in Vancouver (the Western Division of VIA). He/She also made reference to the Skeena's Edmonton extension.

By the way - just got done booking a trip on the Ocean to experience the new upgraded Easterly Class - what a heck of a time to book space! I guess this service is selling well - or at least in October. I finally had to settle on 3rd week in October (this was certainly not my first choice). Course, I wanted a day with the Renaissance equipment so that narrowed me down just a little, as there's still one Budd Stainless Steel trainset in operation.

jp1822 wrote:By the way - just got done booking a trip on the Ocean to experience the new upgraded Easterly Class - what a heck of a time to book space! I guess this service is selling well - or at least in October. I finally had to settle on 3rd week in October (this was certainly not my first choice). Course, I wanted a day with the Renaissance equipment so that narrowed me down just a little, as there's still one Budd Stainless Steel trainset in operation.

Funny you should mention that. I booked a trip from Moncton to Toronto (on the Ocean to Montreal, and a corridor train from there). I purposely booked a day when (IF the equipment cycles right) the Budd set should be making the trip west. It's mainly because I've already experienced the LRC equipment on a round trip between Toronto and Ottawa back in 2004, and I am hoping to ride Budd cars again....I miss them ever since Amtrak dumped their Heritage fleet here....