Skeena - Totem/Totem Deluxe

I am planning to take the Skeena from Prince Rupert to Jasper in June 2006. If I understand the description on the VIA website correctly, the Totem Class gets the Park Car, and the Totem Deluxe Class gets the Panorama Car. Is the difference in price worth it ? Are passengers assigned to specific seats, or just to the car ?

Various trip reports on other sites have indicated that seats are now assigned in advance in both Totem and Totem Deluxe. When I last rode the Skeena they were not assigning seats. My family was not amused in having to split up because two people sat in a "four-seater" clearly marked for groups of three or four and they refused to budge even though the service manager asked them to.

There have been other trip reports indicating that when the passenger load is very small, Totem passengers are put in the Deluxe Panorama car instead of the usual VIA 1 car. Both Totem and Totem Deluxe passengers have access to the Park car.

My most recent Skeena trip - July 2005 - there was VIA class car for Totem class passengers and the Panorama car for the Totem Deluxe passengers. Both classes have access to the Park Car - I kept getting mixed reports about this from agents.

Anyway, if its a fairly light load, seat assignments won't matter. But when you call the VIA Agent, ask for what seat you desire. For example, I always like to be near the back of the Panorama car and want a "good" window seat (i.e. without some obstruction of sorts). VIA agent has usually done well with getting me such a seat.

In VIA's timetable, you can see a car layout of the VIA 1 car - if you decide to travel in Totem. There you can see the seat numbers etc. The Panorama car seat layout is not in the timetable - but the VIA agent has reference to this. Call VIA and request them to send you a timetable. You can change seat assignments if you've already made reservations - providing seat is available etc.

Honestly - I would pay the extra money and book in Totem Deluxe. You get this nice viewing car, plus you can wander back to the Park Car.

I have heard rumors that VIA will not offer the fourth frequency of the Skeena next year - 2006 - reverting back to three days a week. In addition, I have also heard rumors that VIA is looking to get the train into Edmonton again so they can tap into more tourist ground via access to Edmonton airport.The extension to Edmonton I think is great for the Skeena!

The Skeena is an interesting train - it can be full one day and empty the next. Fluctuates with tour groups as well. I know VIA likes to book the tour groups in either Totem or Totem Deluxe - forget which one. I would think they want to book them in the premium price bucket, being Totem Deluxe.

I found that the eastbound Skeena, that is from Prince Rupert to Jasper, is often less crowded than Jasper to Prince Rupert. In the summer, doesn't matter which way you go - as you will get daylight throughout the trip.

The Skeena is one of my favorite trains to ride - mostly for scenery and service. I wish I could just stay onboard in a sleeper car or something in Prince George. Even though the train is stopped their overnight, I'd rather overnight in one of VIA's Budd sleepers. They could spare one for this route. But CN would want more money for haulage and storage, and Prince George would lose out on overnight hotel revenue - sort of defeating one of the Skeena's purposes in life. I fear the Skeena may be in jeopardy with the Rocky Mountaineer invading part of its turf next year (2006). Hopefully the Skeena will survive! I think it is pretty safe for 2006, and opportunity could open up if it extends (back to) a terminus of Edmonton.