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Discussion of Canadian Passenger Rail Services such as AMT (Montreal), Go Transit (Toronto), VIA Rail, and other Canadian Railways and Transit

Moderator: Ken V

 #1529648  by trainsinmaine
 
As a resident of Maine and as a lifelong railfan, I have long lamented the 1994 demise of the Atlantic Limited (later Atlantic), the passenger train that ran between Montreal and Halifax for over a hundred years, latterly under the ownership of VIA. I rode the train several times since I moved here in the late '70s, finding it to be a wonderful --- and memorable --- experience. It was also regarded as an important transportation link, especially by many New Brunswickers.

Given that the Canadian Pacific is about to acquire the Central Maine & Quebec Railway, I'm wondering whether there is any chance at all of reviving the Atlantic. I know there has been some talk about it. Is it a possibility, or just an unrealistic pipe dream? Post-9/11 Customs checks would slow the ride, certainly, but they're done elsewhere without any apparent problems.

Other than nostalgia, would there be any motivation for a revival of service?
 #1529676  by ExCon90
 
That may depend on whether the idea is to replace the Ocean or supplement it. In either case, would it have to be operated by VIA, or could it be operated by CP if they would even consider that? I'm not very familiar with travel patterns In that area--would a CP train serve any significant traffic generators not already served by the Ocean?
 #1529749  by exvalley
 
I agree that the chances of seeing this route are practically nil.

That said, there is a related concept that could work: A limited beach train in the summer. The train could run one or two days per week in peak summer season to get Montrealers to the beaches near Portland, Maine. The train could either stop at Old Orchard Beach, or could stop at Portland and have a thru-bus connection to the beaches south of Portland. Ideally the train would include a stop somewhere in Saint Lambert (or thereabouts) at a station with plentiful and cheap parking.
 #1530860  by Tadman
 
It would probably be a hard act in a political sense for Via to run subsidized trains through the emptiest part of the USA/Maine while the CN route through Canada is only 3x/week. Not to mention the borders are different today than they were in 1994, which was pre-9/11.