VIA Rail Canada

[Shaun]

It`s to allow them sufficient time for unexpected delays along the route (fuel stops, freight trains, track or switch problems, etc....) For example if they are 45 minutes late arriving at one place, they`ve got lots of time along the route to catch up.

But I know what you mean. Sudbury to Toronto is an 8 hour trip. You`ve got time to do a round trip by bus or car in that amount of time!!!

I wonder if there would be a better way to serve Northern Ontario. Routes that start in Winnipeg and go to Sudbury, or Toronto to Sudbury. With Daily service. With greyhound cutting back...a lot of these communities will need a better way to get around.

Why did VIA Stop their bus service?

[TheAverageJoe]

I wonder if there would be a better way to serve Northern Ontario. Routes that start in Winnipeg and go to Sudbury, or Toronto to Sudbury. With Daily service. With greyhound cutting back...a lot of these communities will need a better way to get around.

Why did VIA Stop their bus service?

cost and ridership?

[Waiting for 30 Minutes]

cost and ridership?

And four rounds of funding cuts.

[stage driver]

I wonder if there would be a better way to serve Northern Ontario. Routes that start in Winnipeg and go to Sudbury, or Toronto to Sudbury. With Daily service. With greyhound cutting back...a lot of these communities will need a better way to get around.

Why did VIA Stop their bus service?

Are you suggesting that at one time VIA ran a bus service on routes in Ontario? If so then I am totally unaware of such a service having been available; although most of my life has been spent in southwestern Ontario where I imagine as I aged there were enough privately operated bus systems throughout my life that there was no need for a publicly funded system in this area.

[Shaun]

Are you suggesting that at one time VIA ran a bus service on routes in Ontario? If so then I am totally unaware of such a service having been available; although most of my life has been spent in southwestern Ontario where I imagine as I aged there were enough privately operated bus systems throughout my life that there was no need for a publicly funded system in this area.

I didnt say anything about VIA bus service in Ontario, just in general.

[MaT]

Um ya..you did! I had the same impression and was wondering about that too.

You put this below.

"I wonder if there would be a better way to serve Northern Ontario. Routes that start in Winnipeg and go to Sudbury, or Toronto to Sudbury. With Daily service. With greyhound cutting back...a lot of these communities will need a better way to get around.

Why did VIA Stop their bus service?"

[Shaun]

Um ya..you did! I had the same impression and was wondering about that too.

You put this below.

"I wonder if there would be a better way to serve Northern Ontario. Routes that start in Winnipeg and go to Sudbury, or Toronto to Sudbury. With Daily service. With greyhound cutting back...a lot of these communities will need a better way to get around.

Why did VIA Stop their bus service?"

Sorry...they are two separate questions. Intended to mean if VIA still had their bus service, could they not be mandated to serve those communities?

[smallspy]

VIA has never had a bus service.

If they did have a bus service, they couldn't be mandated to run the service as a Provincial body can't order around a Federal agency.

Dan

[Shaun]

VIA has never had a bus service.

If they did have a bus service, they couldn't be mandated to run the service as a Provincial body can't order around a Federal agency.

Dan

If i recall i have seen a picture of a bus painted in blue with the letters VIA in a picture from the early 80's, or 70's. I cant find that picture thou.

[ghYHZ]

If i recall i have seen a picture of a bus painted in blue with the letters VIA in a picture from the early 80's, or 70's. I cant find that picture thou.

This bus operated between Moncton, New Brunswick and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. (It was operated for VIA by a charter bus company)

(seen here at the Moncton VIA Station in 1986)

[smallspy]

If i recall i have seen a picture of a bus painted in blue with the letters VIA in a picture from the early 80's, or 70's. I cant find that picture thou.

You did recall correctly - I have a copy of a photo of one on my hard drive.

It wasn't owned or operated by VIA however. They had arrangements with at least one coach service for connections to various trains in the east.

Dan

[Shaun]

You did recall correctly - I have a copy of a photo of one on my hard drive.

It wasn't owned or operated by VIA however. They had arrangements with at least one coach service for connections to various trains in the east.

Dan

Back to my original topic...i wonder if it would make sense to have a system like this for the communities that are loosing bus service, due to Greyhound cutbacks.

[stage driver]

Unfortunately Greyhound is suffering a lack of ridership and fares are not covering the cost of service as it operates at present. Unless a private operator obtains running rights to a route (All Call) or the government makes changes to the present system of rights to a route(s) or wants to subsidize routes it is doubtful that any other carrier will want to operate routes Greyhound is dropping at this time.

[ghYHZ]

Looking at the April 24, 1977 VIA Timetable……there were 3 buses a day each way between Ottawa and Kingston where they connected with trains to and from Toronto. There were also 3 through train each way on the route.

One run, a Bus-Turbo combination did the run in 4 hrs and 45 min. The day-time trains…..about 6 hours and overnight 7 1\2 hours.

These were dedicated buses with VIA “Train” numbers and required reservations. They were chartered by VIA but I’m not sure if they had a paint scheme similar to the one above or not. For a number of years there were bus loading platforms at the west end of the Kingston station.

In the same timetable, on the southwestern Ontario schedule page, there are bus runs shown between London and Sarnia, Hamilton and Brantford and Toronto and Hamilton…….all carrying VIA “Train” numbers.

>>>>>>>>>>>

Today, in the Maritimes there are buses that connect with VIA’s Ocean but unlike the “dedicated” buses above, these are just regularly scheduled Acadian Lines runs which stop at the VIA stations enroute.

Buses connect at Moncton for Saint John and Charlottetown and at Truro for Sydney. This run also connects to the Newfoundland Ferry and the DRL bus across Newfoundland (the former CN “Roadcrusier” service)

Acadian Lines shares the Halifax Station (below) with VIA and connections are available to the Annapolis Valley. There is also a connection to Yarmouth on Trius Bus Lines but the bus from Yarmouth arrives in Halifax just as the Ocean is leaving.

[D40LF]

Looking at the April 24, 1977 VIA Timetable……there were 3 buses a day each way between Ottawa and Kingston where they connected with trains to and from Toronto. There were also 3 through train each way on the route.

One run, a Bus-Turbo combination did the run in 4 hrs and 45 min. The day-time trains…..about 6 hours and overnight 7 1\2 hours.

These were dedicated buses with VIA “Train” numbers and required reservations. They were chartered by VIA but I’m not sure if they had a paint scheme similar to the one above or not. For a number of years there were bus loading platforms at the west end of the Kingston station.

I have seen a photo of a bus at the VIA station in Kingston in VIA scheme.

Oddly enough I took a photo last year of a Coach Canada bus at the Kingston VIA station which was operating under a VIA train #. This was due to a derailment but to hear the announcer say that train xxx will be loading in front of the station seemed strange.

[Shaun]

I have seen a photo of a bus at the VIA station in Kingston in VIA scheme.

Oddly enough I took a photo last year of a Coach Canada bus at the Kingston VIA station which was operating under a VIA train #. This was due to a derailment but to hear the announcer say that train xxx will be loading in front of the station seemed strange.

I think it would make sense for them to set-up connections with buses. It would be good for provinces to be able to pay for VIA Services, if they feel it's warranted.

[dowlingm]

I think it would make sense for them to set-up connections with buses. It would be good for provinces to be able to pay for VIA Services, if they feel it's warranted.

I think the provinces should be obligated to pay a contribution to all VIA services that operate wholly within a province (Toronto-Sarnia, White River-Sudbury, Montreal-Jonquiere, etc.)

The payment should be on a sector length basis so long thin routes are supported more than busy routes, with stepped rates up to 1x service per direction per day 7 days a week, after which the subsidy should max out and VIA should be able to make it work commercially.

[smallspy]

I think the provinces should be obligated to pay a contribution to all VIA services that operate wholly within a province (Toronto-Sarnia, White River-Sudbury, Montreal-Jonquiere, etc.)

The payment should be on a sector length basis so long thin routes are supported more than busy routes, with stepped rates up to 1x service per direction per day 7 days a week, after which the subsidy should max out and VIA should be able to make it work commercially.

Why don't we start by making it a Crown Corp. before we worry about other funding arrangements.

Dan

[viarail]

if Via can run buses in between Charny And QC City Why not run them Sudbury To Sudbury Junction Station For Better connections with The Lake Superior And The Canadian

[dowlingm]

because VIA HQ is in the same province as Charny and not Sudbury Jct?

[ghYHZ]

CN operated “Roadcruiser” buses on the 900 km route across Newfoundland after they abandoned the narrow gauge passenger train “The Caribou” in 1969. These were CN owned buses, not charters.

CN continued to operate the Roadcruisers for another 20 years after VIA had taken over all the other passenger services. CN sold the buses to DRL in 1996 which continues to operate the service. Here’s one that’s just arrived in Port-aux-Basques where it will connect with the overnight Marine Atlantic Ferry to Nova Scotia......another former CN operation.

[Zouloukistan]

Thanks for the pictures! Really nice to see that.

[TheAverageJoe]

great pics

[D40LF]

CN operated “Roadcruiser” buses on the 900 km route across Newfoundland after they abandoned the narrow gauge passenger train “The Caribou” in 1969. These were CN owned buses, not charters.

Slightly off topic but that looks like the Irving at Bishop Falls.

[ghYHZ]

Slightly off topic but that looks like the Irving at Bishop Falls.

This is either Baie Verte Jct or Springdale Jct. I checked the timetable and the eastbound and westbound runs were scheduled to meet in that area around mid afternoon.