VIA Rail Toronto-Montreal line

	Toronto - Ottawa/Montreal
Number of Branches		2
Service type		Corridor
Distance		539km (TRTO-MTRL); 446km (TRTO-OTTW)
Duration		5h 30m (TRTO-MTRL); 4h 30m (TRTO-OTTW)
Stops		MISSING
Ridership (2019)		MISSING

The VIA Rail Toronto - Montreal/Toronto - Ottawa corridor route is a route operated by VIA Rail as part of the VIA Rail Corridor services. The two branches of this service combined constitute the most heavily-used route in the VIA Rail network.

Route Details

Trains on this route run primarily on the Canadian National/Metrolinx Kingston Subdivision. Toronto to Ottawa trains use the VIA-owned Brockville and Smiths Falls subdivisions north of Brockville.

Major stops for the trains include Oshawa, Cobourg, Belleville, Kingston, Brockville, Smith's Falls, and Cornwall, in addition to their terminuses of Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto.

Branches

This line has two branches:

• Toronto Union Station - Montreal Gare Centrale, trains 60-69; 660-669
• Toronto Union Station - Ottawa, trains 40-59; 640-649

History

Service on the Corridor between Quebec City and Windsor have existed early on, since before Confederation, in the form of a Grand Trunk Railway line between Quebec City and Windsor (continuing to Detroit and Chicago). By 1919 the GTR had been absorbed by Canadian National, which still owns the rails. The route of the Corridor has remained the same since the GTR's line was built.

Between 1976 and 1978, operations and rolling stock were transferred from Canadian National to VIA Rail Canada.

In the mid-1970s to the late 1990s, in an effort to increase ridership on the central portion of the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor, Canadian National and VIA Rail Canada experimented with high-speed gas-turbine and diesel tilting trainsets. These experiments were jeopardized after numerous equipment failures and fuel problems with both types; however the latter's railcars still remain in service though powered by newer, more efficient locomotives.

Today, on the Toronto-Montreal branch of the central Corridor, there are 6 trains per day on weekdays, and 5 per day on weekends, in both directions. On the Toronto-Ottawa branch, there are at least 6 trains per day in both directions, increasing to up to 9 per day in both directions for busier days of the week. The scheduled travel time between Toronto and Montreal is around 5 hours 30 minutes, while the scheduled travel time between Toronto and Ottawa can vary between 4 and 5 hours, with most runs completing their trips in around 4 hours 30 minutes. The top speed for trains over most of this route is 95mph (153km/h). Passengers have the option to travel between Toronto and Montreal by making a connection in Ottawa, though this increases travel time by up to 2 hours.

Rolling Stock

Passenger cars

Toronto-Montreal and Toronto-Ottawa trains use LRC equipment, rebuilt Budd stainless steel coaches, or Siemens Venture trainsets. Trains with LRC equipment can be between 4 and 7 cars long, with one or two business class coaches and the remainder being economy class coaches. Trains with stainless steel equipment are 4 cars long, with one business class coach, two standard economy class coaches, and one long-distance economy class coach (sold as regular economy class). Venture trains are 5 cars long and feature two business class cars, two economy class cars, and one economy class cab car.

Motive Power

Toronto-Montreal and Toronto-Ottawa trains are usually powered by a single GE P42DC or GMD F40PH-3D locomotive. Venture trains are powered by a Siemens SCV-42 locomotive.