Train # 644 & 38

[gaspeamtrak]

Hi again.
I have just made our reservations on trains #644 & #38 instead of train #64 I had originally planned to take.
On this routing the departure time, routing, and price were right !!!
I saved over $100 on business class by going this route.
I know it is about 2.5 hours longer but so what? More bang for our $$$.
My question is: are these trains a run through or do we have to change?
On previous trips I have taken they were run through.
Thanks for any help provided!!!

[timberley]

Hi again.
I have just made our reservations on trains #644 & #38 instead of train #64 I had originally planned to take.
On this routing the departure time, routing, and price were right !!!
I saved over $100 on business class by going this route.
I know it is about 2.5 hours longer but so what? More bang for our $$$.
My question is: are these trains a run through or do we have to change?
On previous trips I have taken they were run through.
Thanks for any help provided!!!

I'm not sure about them being run-throughs - according to the most recent equipment cycling diagram that was posted to the CanadianPassengerRail Yahoo group (by Doug Bardeau, at the end of May), the consist from 40 is becoming 38 on Saturday (assuming you're still travelling the same day you indicated before), while on weekdays 38 runs with the equipment from 635 (after it turns around). The consist from 644 would stay in Ottawa and become 645-79 on Sunday. Of course that could change before you travel.

I know VIA was running a number of Tor-Ott-Mtl run throughs a few years ago, but on the current cycle it appears all of the Tor-Mtl via Ottawa runs involve a change of trains.

[gaspeamtrak]

Rats !!! Oh well we will see. Thank you for the info...

[timberley]

No problem! Yeah, having to change is a bit of a nuisance. I seem to recall that the move away from run-throughs had something to do with the renovation work going on there (installing high-level platforms and better cover), which were effectively turning several tracks into stub-end tracks temporarily, but I can't recall for sure. I know VIA recently started running several Toronto-Ottawa trains as push-pulls with locos on either end (the motivation for the new 50/50 forward/back seating arrangement in the LRCs) so that they don't have to wye those trains before running them back the other way.

There is actually still one run-through train for sure: VIA 51, which originates in Montreal and then runs right through Ottawa to Toronto (Mon-Fri). There doesn't appear to be an equivalent in the other direction.

There are four other trains that do run through the station, but they're only coming from or going to Fallowfield. Trains 22 and 24 originate at Fallowfield before heading through Ottawa for Montreal, and trains 37 and 39 terminate in Fallowfield after going through Ottawa.