by jp1822
The website functionability I think is better. There's certain things on the old website that are not on the new website, but at least the new site gives you a better description of the services and train cars used and other offerings for a specific route.
Where I think VIA is making a mistake, for such a small network in general, is losing the "names" of the long distance trains (i.e. Skeena, Hudson Bay, etc.) and the names of the various "service types" (i.e. Silver and Blue, Easterly, Totem). These were classic for VIA and defined a train and its special service. "Touring Class" in Totem is definitely a different experience than "Touring Class" on the Canadian or Ocean. Plus VIA is not eve really using "names trains" any more so it's harder to reference some trains. "Oh you know that train that goes from Vancouver to Jasper." They are replacing the "service types" with a generic "touring class." And VIA 1 is being changed to "business class." It makes things more generic, if I am a business person, I should only book in business class? You just get various interpretations of what "business class" and "touring class" mean. I am sure Canadian citizens often take what is known as "touring class" even though they are not on vacation or necessarily "touring around." They may just be choosing an upgraded version of travel to get to point A to point B for basic travel. Amtrak has less of this now, but at one time I could hear people on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor - "oh we can't book business class, because that is just for business people." That is far from the truth. In many cases, people are booking "business class" on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor because it ensures them a certain "reserved" service (Amtrak doesn't track it's monthly pass riders, and often they can fill up coach very easily during rush hour, without the Amtrak's reservation system knowing!).
So from a marketing perspective, I would think VIA has made a wrong move in changing the "service types" and losing the "named trains." VIA operates a few trains only a few days a week out of its core Windsor-Quebec City corridor. And it's these few trains that are really rather unique to the system. Granted the website will help describe what "touring class" involves for each of these trains, but word of mouth may make it a little bit harder to explain. And "Totem," "Silver and Blue," "Easterly" etc. carried a certain ambiance to them. It should be interesting to see what promotional and marketing materials cometh forth with this change, and what decals may have to "disappear" or be "replaced" on certain trains.
Where I think VIA is making a mistake, for such a small network in general, is losing the "names" of the long distance trains (i.e. Skeena, Hudson Bay, etc.) and the names of the various "service types" (i.e. Silver and Blue, Easterly, Totem). These were classic for VIA and defined a train and its special service. "Touring Class" in Totem is definitely a different experience than "Touring Class" on the Canadian or Ocean. Plus VIA is not eve really using "names trains" any more so it's harder to reference some trains. "Oh you know that train that goes from Vancouver to Jasper." They are replacing the "service types" with a generic "touring class." And VIA 1 is being changed to "business class." It makes things more generic, if I am a business person, I should only book in business class? You just get various interpretations of what "business class" and "touring class" mean. I am sure Canadian citizens often take what is known as "touring class" even though they are not on vacation or necessarily "touring around." They may just be choosing an upgraded version of travel to get to point A to point B for basic travel. Amtrak has less of this now, but at one time I could hear people on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor - "oh we can't book business class, because that is just for business people." That is far from the truth. In many cases, people are booking "business class" on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor because it ensures them a certain "reserved" service (Amtrak doesn't track it's monthly pass riders, and often they can fill up coach very easily during rush hour, without the Amtrak's reservation system knowing!).
So from a marketing perspective, I would think VIA has made a wrong move in changing the "service types" and losing the "named trains." VIA operates a few trains only a few days a week out of its core Windsor-Quebec City corridor. And it's these few trains that are really rather unique to the system. Granted the website will help describe what "touring class" involves for each of these trains, but word of mouth may make it a little bit harder to explain. And "Totem," "Silver and Blue," "Easterly" etc. carried a certain ambiance to them. It should be interesting to see what promotional and marketing materials cometh forth with this change, and what decals may have to "disappear" or be "replaced" on certain trains.
