VIA Rail Vancouver-Toronto line


	*Vancouver - Toronto (The Canadian)*
Number of Branches		2
Service type		Long Distance (Transcontinental)
Distance		4,466km (Vancouver - Toronto) 1,245km (Vancouver - Edmonton)
Duration		3 days 23 hours 30 minutes (eastbound) 3 days 22 hours 15 minutes (westbound)
Stops		67 (54 request/flag stops)
Ridership (2019)		82,135

The VIA Rail Vancouver-Toronto line, famously known as The Canadian, is a transcontinental passenger service operated by VIA Rail Canada. The most well-known of all of VIA's routes, it is also the longest passenger train route (by distance and duration) in North America, taking about 95 hours to travel 4,466km.

Branches

This line has two branches:

Toronto Union Station - Vancouver Pacific Central Station (year-round)
- Train 1 (westbound)
- Train 2 (eastbound)

Edmonton VIA Rail Station - Vancouver Pacific Central Station (May-October)
- Train 3 (westbound)
- Train 4 (eastbound)

Westbound trains from Toronto depart on Wednesdays and Fridays and eastbound from Vancouver on Mondays and Fridays. Westbound trains from Edmonton depart on Fridays and westbound from Vancouver on Tuesdays.

History

The Canadian first started operation in late April 1954, as a Canadian Pacific Railway train. It was advertised as a faster service than CP's existing train, the Dominion, taking 72 hours to travel across the country as opposed to the Dominion's 88. Intended to be the flagship train of the company, CP outfitted their new train with 173 streamlined, stainless steel cars built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as 11 FP9As and 8 F9Bs built by General Motors of London, Ontario.

Initially a successful operation, with the advent of jet airplanes, passenger rail began to decline sharply in the late 1950s-1960s. With the train service losing money, CP sought to rid itself of its passenger services, and ultimately transferred its passenger trains (along with its passenger rolling stock) to VIA Rail Canada in 1978.

From its introduction, The Canadian was supplemented by a second transcontinental train; the Super Continental, which was operated by CP's competitor, Canadian National Railway, and ran on the more northerly CN route (It is interesting to note that both the Canadian and the Super Continental started operations on the same day; April 24, 1955). This route was also transferred to VIA in 1978. Service cuts in the 1990s discontinued the Super Continental and moved the Canadian from its original CP Rail route onto the CN route.

Presently, the Canadian operates biweekly year-round between Toronto and Vancouver, and triweekly from May to October between Edmonton and Vancouver only.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all service on The Canadian was suspended starting March 17, 2020. Once-weekly service between Winnipeg and Vancouver was reinstated on December 11, 2020, with the rest of the route reinstated starting May 17, 2021.

Classes of Service

The Canadian offers three classes of service:

Economy

Regular seating in coach cars. Amenities include a comfortable reclining seat with leg-rests, access to the mid-train (Skyline) dome car, and meals/refreshments and alcohol beverages available for at-seat purchase.

Sleeper Plus

Sleeper service aboard the The Canadian. Accommodations vary between open sections (berths), and private cabins for one, two, or four persons. Berth accommodations feature two couch-style seats that convert into two stacked beds by night and access to public washrooms. Cabins for one feature a single couch seat while cabins for two and four persons feature two armchairs. A cabin for four persons is created by combining two cabins for two with the removal of a wall. All cabins feature a private washroom, however, the shower is shared by all passengers in the Sleeper Plus class. The fare includes complimentary meals served in the dining car, priority boarding, turndown service, access to business lounges at select stations, and access to the end-of-train dome/observation (Park) car during off-peak periods only.

Prestige

Premium sleeper service aboard The Canadian. This class offers a sleeper cabin that is 50% larger than the cabin in Sleeper Plus class and a window that is 60% larger. The room features a leather couch which converts into a double bed, and a private washroom with shower. This class provides access to business lounges at select stations, complimentary meals and alcoholic beverages with priority seating in the dining car, and unrestricted access to the dome/observation Park car.

Rolling Stock

Passenger Cars

Most of the stainless steel Budd cars built in 1954-55 are still in service on this train, having been rebuilt several times over their lifetimes. Peak season trains can be up to 30 cars long. From May to the end of September, VIA Rail adds a Colorado Railcar 'Super Dome' to the train at Edmonton.