Train Density on MTL-TOR Corridor

[twropr]

If I counting correctly, VIA runs 24 weekday trains Montreal-Coteau Jct. and 20 weekdays trains Brockville-Toronto. How many freights does CN run over this corridor between ?Ballantyne and ?Clarke Jct.?
Does CN run more freight over the Dundas Sub. than it does the Kingston Sub?

Thanks!

Andy

[Ken V]

I haven't actually counted them but I would guess there are 30-35 daily CN freight trains travelling over the Kingston Sub between Montreal and Toronto (not counting locals). Other estimates I've heard have been higher. Also, I guess there are a similar number that traverse the Dundas Sub between Toronto/Brampton and Sarnia. In my experience, the Dundas Sub seems busier for freight activity but that may be because there are more trains going through during the day and fewer at night. In any case, these are just guesses and I could be way off.

By the way, your count of VIA's is off slightly. There are 24 weekday trips scheduled between Brockville and Toronto as well (unless you discount two consists running joined together between these points, in which case you can subtract 2 for 50/52 and 54/56).

[gp9rm4108]

I can give you a run down of what happens between Belleville and Dorval

Regular every day trains

Intermodals:

106, 120, 148
107, 121, 149

Freight:

305, 309, 369, 371, 373, 377
308, 310, 368, 372, 376

326 (From the south into Coteau and on to Tasch yard)
327 (Tash yard to Coteau and then south)

785/786 Maitland Ultramar turn out of Montreal. This I believe is every other day.

Switchers:

F51 - CP Smiths Falls to Brockville turn. Usually into Brockville late evening and closer to midnight. Sun-Thurs and sometimes Friday from what I remember ... could be different now.
532 - Brockville switcher - Works between Brock and Morrisburg - Days- Sat/Sun off

591 - Coteau - Cornwall/Iroqouis - Days - Fri/Sat off
538 - Coteau and surrounding area day job - Wed/Thurs off
536 - Coteau and surrounding area night job - Sun\Mon off
584 - Coteau turn in from Ottawa - Usually into Coteau in late evening - Doesn't run of Friday I think.

518 - Belleville to Kingston turn - day job. Sometimes goes west of Belleville - Fri Sat off
519 - Belleville night job that sometimes goes east of Belleveville to Bath or Queens - Fri Sat off

There are usually extras.

Common numbers for extra trains are X308, 350, 351, X371, Q192, 874 (loaded grain when ran), 875 (empty grain when ran).

It's common for 400 series OCS trains to make apprearances.

You said you have access to all the VIA's but I will add the weekday schedule in.

Toronto to Montreal

VIA 52, 56, 60, 64, 66, 68

Toronto to Ottawa

VIA 44, 46, 48

Toronto - Ottawa - Montreal

VIA 50, 54

Montreal to Ottawa

VIA 39, 635

Montreal - Ottawa - Toronto

VIA 51, 55, 59

Montreal to Toronto

VIA 53, 57, 61, 65, 67, 69

Ottawa to Montreal

VIA 30, 32, 36, 38

Ottawa to Toronto

VIA 41, 49

Toronto - Kingston - Toronto

VIA 650/651

[railwayworker]

cn Kingston Sub Regular every day trains

121 Halifax NS- Toronto BIT

120 - Intermodal; Toronto BIT - Halifax NS

148 Intermodal Chicago IL -Montreal QC

149 Intermodal Montreal QC -Chicago IL

371 Manifest Manifest Montreal QC -Chicago IL

373 Manifest Montreal QC - Toronto MacMillan Yard;

376 Manifest Toronto Macmillian Yard- Montreal QCCC

372 Manifest Chicago IL- Montreal QC

321 - Manifest; St Antoine QC - Toronto MacMillan Yard;

309 - Manifest; Joffre QC (Quebec City) - Toronto MacMillan Yard;

106 - Intermodal; Vancouver BC - Montreal QC

310 - Manifest; Toronto MacMillan Yard - Joffre QC

369 - Manifest; Arvida QC - Toronto MacMillan Yard

368 Toronto MacMillan Yard -Arvida Qc

305 - Manifest; Saint John NB - Toronto MacMillan Yard

377 - Manifest; Riviere des Prairies QC - Toronto MacMillan Yard

373 Manifest Riviere des Prairies QC - Toronto MacMillan Yard

112 Intermodal; Edmonton AB - Montreal QC

[railwayworker]

cn train info at brockville
Q107-04:00-04:52
Q121 02:00-02:55
Q120 03:52-04:50
Q106 Anytime
M376 Noon-2pm
M372 Noon-3pm
M377 3-6PM
M371 afternoonish
M373 Late Afternoon early Evening
M306 6-8pm
M368 8-10am
M305 7-8am
M369 8-10am
Q149 9-11am
M376 noon-3pm

[railwayworker]

The CN Kingston Sub See 40 Daily Via's Between Montreal-Toronto Ottawa-Montreal & Ottawa-Toronto And About 30-50 Daily Freights Heres the Train Symbols and Times cn Kingston Sub Regular every day trains

121 Halifax NS- Toronto BIT

120 - Intermodal; Toronto BIT - Halifax NS

148 Intermodal Chicago IL -Montreal QC

149 Intermodal Montreal QC -Chicago IL

371 Manifest Manifest Montreal QC -Chicago IL

373 Manifest Montreal QC - Toronto MacMillan Yard;

376 Manifest Toronto Macmillian Yard- Montreal QCCC

372 Manifest Chicago IL- Montreal QC

321 - Manifest; St Antoine QC - Toronto MacMillan Yard;

309 - Manifest; Joffre QC (Quebec City) - Toronto MacMillan Yard;

106 - Intermodal; Vancouver BC - Montreal QC

310 - Manifest; Toronto MacMillan Yard - Joffre QC

369 - Manifest; Arvida QC - Toronto MacMillan Yard

368 Toronto MacMillan Yard -Arvida Qc

305 - Manifest; Saint John NB - Toronto MacMillan Yard

377 - Manifest; Riviere des Prairies QC - Toronto MacMillan Yard

373 Manifest Riviere des Prairies QC - Toronto MacMillan Yard

112 Intermodal; Edmonton AB - Montreal QC

cn train info at brockville
Q107-04:00-04:52
Q121 02:00-02:55
Q120 03:52-04:50
Q106 Anytime
M376 Noon-2pm
M372 Noon-3pm
M377 3-6PM
M371 afternoonish
M373 Late Afternoon early Evening
M306 6-8pm
M368 8-10am
M305 7-8am
M369 8-10am
Q149 9-11am
M376 noon-3pm
Q186 U730 U731 U710 U711 G830 & G831 (Grain Trains) Shows Up Whenever All Trains Run Daily

[gp9rm4108]

On Monday to Friday there are 32 VIA between Toronto and Kingston (34 if you include the two J-trains), and because of the J Trains, there are 32 that continue on to Brockville (20 to/from Ottawa and 12 to/from Montreal). I think 12 Ottawa - Montreal. Fewer on the weekends.

(2 Toronto-Kingston)(12 Toronto - Montreal)(20 Toronto - Ottawa) (12? Ottawa - Montreal)

There certainly is no place seeing 40 VIA trains a day on the Kingston Sub.

You of course have the GO Transit traffic Oshawa and to the west.

Not including the local switchers and regional freights, there are only 16-20 freights on a normal day between Toronto and Montreal. Sometimes, SOMETIMES a couple more.

Regional freights are:

326/327 between Coteau and Montreal
585/586 between Montreal and Brockville (not daily)
516/517 between Toronto and Belleville (not daily, not even regular).

For locals:

589 - Ottawa area, Ottawa - Coteau
591 - Coteau - Cornwall, Coteau - Montreal
536 and 538 - Coteau, Valleyfield Sub and Coteau - Montreal
532 - Brockville, Brockville - Morrisburg, Brockville - Gananoque (rarely)
CP F51 - Brockville
518 and 519: Belleville, Belleville - Port Hope, Belleville - Kingston
546: Oshawa, Oshawa - Bowmanville, Oshawa - the Union Station Rail Corridor, and the Uxbridge Sub

Freights:

400 series company service trains run on an if and when required basis.
900 series work trains run when work programs are active.

100 series:

105 - Daily
106 - Frequent, but not daily.
108 - Frequent, but not always daily.
120 - Daily
121 - Daily
148 - Daily
149 - Sometimes doesn't run every day
186 - Few times a week.

Extras of the numbers above will run from time to time. 183 runs from time to time.

200 series"

271 - Daily

300 series"

305 - Daily
306 - Daily
309 - Daily
310 - Daily
321 - Frequent, not daily
368 - Daily
369 - Daily
371 - Frequent, not daily
372 - Daily
373 - Daily
376 - Daily
377 - Daily

Others run from time to time.

700 and 800 series Bulk trains:

B730 - Loaded potash - Runs when there is a train - Once or twice a week.
B731 - Empty potash - Runs when there are cars to return west. Cars often are put on other trains such as 305.

Grain trains such as 874 and 875 run when needed. Moreso in the winter than during the summer. This is because the Seaway is closed in the winter.

That's about it. Of course there will always be exceptions.