The Chaleur - what's left of it

Since VIA cancelled its chartered bus service which connected with the short-turned train (formerly known as the Chaleur) at Matapedia, the separate section of thetrain has no longer operated with the Ocean. There was one last reminder of the Chaleur: a single Château sleeper with a line number for the Gaspe service (trains 15 & 16). Rather than being dropped off at Matapedia as when the whole train was operated as a separate section, the sleeper is taken deadhead to and from Halifax. The last departure of this sleeper will be Friday the 27th Sept. from Montreal and Sunday the 29th from Matapedia.

In the middle of this month I had a trip to and from Halifax on the Ocean. I noted that the Chaleur had its usual off-peak consist of baggage car, coach, Skyline and two Château sleepers ahead of the Ocean. The second sleeper appeared to not be in service as its line number was blank. Very few passengers boarded the Chaleur section. Until a few years ago, the Chaleur at this time of year had two coaches, Skyline, full diner and four sleepers. The westbound Chaleur section that we picked up at Matapedia on Sunday the 15th was most likely the second last. On VIA's Facebook site they have said that the Gaspe train will return when the track is in decent shape. I hope that will be in my lifetime! David Othen has posted a video of an unusual consist of the Ocean leaving Halifax on the 22nd of this month. There is something else unusual in addition to the deadhead Château sleeper.

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More heartbreaking news regarding VIA Rail.....I was planning on riding the Chaleur this coming month. The scenery was absolutely stunning!!!!
The choices of train routes to ride out of Montreal is becoming so small now. This is a real downer to find out.







XC

XC Tower wrote:.......... The choices of train routes to ride out of Montreal is becoming so small now.

Not really.......the last VIA route out of Montreal to be discontinued was the “Atlantic” and that was nearly 19 years ago in December 1994. It was terminated due to CP’s proposed abandonment of the track across Maine. About the only other route I can think of was the cut-back of service from Cochrane to Senneterre. Amtrak’s “Montrealer” was also discontinued around 1995.

Since then.....there’s been an increase in the number of VIA trains operating on Corridor routes and also new AMT routes added.

My apologies for not clarifying my statement regarding the number of train choices out of Montreal. To be more specific, I lament the loss of the Chaleur, as well as the Atlantic, both of which I had the pleasure of riding. Each had an individual personality, between the routes, on board train crew, and even the equipment ( I believe the manufacturer of VIA's "HEP" cars is Budd, which I consider the best to travel aboard in all aspects). Both trains had a feel of a longer distance train, which I don't find on VIA's current Corridor trains with the tighter seat spacing and no dining or lounge cars.
Commuter trains are what they are....Designed to transport passengers on a commute to points along the line. The opportunity and atmosphere for conversation or sheer relaxation isn't the same as on a long distance train.
Of course, these are just my personal observation and opinion, which I do stand behind. I consider each cancellation of a passenger train, whether VIA Rail, ONR, BC Rail or wherever, a great loss of the most civil mode of land transportation: the passenger train, a physical link to a more genteel time.



XC

So basicly, the Chaleur doesn't exist at all anymore.

Since the only Challeur ''exclusive'' part was beyond Matapedia. Now it's only the Ocean

NeoArashi wrote:So basicly, the Chaleur doesn't exist at all anymore.

Since the only Chaleur ''exclusive'' part was beyond Matapedia. Now it's only the Ocean

I Believe the actual situation is that VIA isn't killing the Chaleur off... My gathering is that they're just not running it because the tracks beyond Matapedia are so bad, that they're not safe to ride on. Once the tracks are fixed, then VIA will bring the Chaleur back into service.

warwgn3 wrote:

NeoArashi wrote:So basicly, the Chaleur doesn't exist at all anymore.

Since the only Chaleur ''exclusive'' part was beyond Matapedia. Now it's only the Ocean

I Believe the actual situation is that VIA isn't killing the Chaleur off... My gathering is that they're just not running it because the tracks beyond Matapedia are so bad, that they're not safe to ride on. Once the tracks are fixed, then VIA will bring the Chaleur back into service.

Who owns those tracks, and when do they plan to fix them? Is anyone planning to fix them? How much freight business are on those tracks? Do you believe a thrice a week train is sufficient to pay for the fix?

There's some real concern about what the future of this service might be. Yes, VIA has been saying that the discontinuance is due to poor track quality and the need for repairs and inspections. On the section of the line up to New Carlisle, those repairs and inspections have been done. However, VIA keeps "shifting the goalposts", if you will, as to how much they want done. First, it was just that the issues needed to be fixed and inspections done. Then they moved on to demanding guarantees that such a situation would never be the case in the future, etc. The Gaspesie folks have raised this concern, and seem to be of the mind that VIA is just looking for excuses not to run the train.

Of course there are still repairs needed to complete the run to Gaspe, and that's still pending funding. Resuming service to New Carlisle should either have already been possible, or possible in the very near future. Will it happen?

Service on Vancouver Island has been "temporarily" suspended for over 2 years now, also pending track repairs. With the direction VIA is headed, I wouldn't be surprised if they use both of these cases as opportunities to quietly discontinue services without having to make a big scene of it by formally "cancelling" the trains.