by Gilbert B Norman
The Bob Johnston article regarding VIA in August TRAINS would suggest to a reader that off-Corridor, "they're done for".
There is no longer means to wye a train at Halifax, which means Coach seats need be turned, if they even can in that equipment they bought second hand from somewhere overseas, and if they continue to assign a Dome-obs, that will no longer be an obs, but rather a "listen to the music" and "smoke gets in your eyes" experience.
Sleeping and Dining service are gone from the Churchill train. I guess the Canadian Northern service through Kapitachuan Club is still around. There is no highway into many of those communities up there - including that noted where I was dumped during Aug '56 for three weeks in a canoe (not my idea of fun).
The thought from the Johnston piece that really floored me was that to support their dwindling passenger and political support base, VIA must attract the well heeled carriage trade to the trains. Problem is that with The Canadian's unreliability - even with a 48 hour schedule pad since I rode it during '65 - no high end tour "wholesaler" will touch it.
It's simply "TILT; Game Over".
There is no longer means to wye a train at Halifax, which means Coach seats need be turned, if they even can in that equipment they bought second hand from somewhere overseas, and if they continue to assign a Dome-obs, that will no longer be an obs, but rather a "listen to the music" and "smoke gets in your eyes" experience.
Sleeping and Dining service are gone from the Churchill train. I guess the Canadian Northern service through Kapitachuan Club is still around. There is no highway into many of those communities up there - including that noted where I was dumped during Aug '56 for three weeks in a canoe (not my idea of fun).
The thought from the Johnston piece that really floored me was that to support their dwindling passenger and political support base, VIA must attract the well heeled carriage trade to the trains. Problem is that with The Canadian's unreliability - even with a 48 hour schedule pad since I rode it during '65 - no high end tour "wholesaler" will touch it.
It's simply "TILT; Game Over".