Canadian Pre-Clearance

My recollection of the "Atlantic" running across Maine was that at least the sleeping cars were treated as a "sealed train" complete with lead seals on the exterior doors. I know that my traveling companion and I were not awakened during our trip across Maine in a sleeper.
-John

ThinkNarrow wrote:My recollection of the "Atlantic" running across Maine was that at least the sleeping cars were treated as a "sealed train" complete with lead seals on the exterior doors.........

There were different procedures in handling the 'Atlantic' across Maine over the years:

When it was a Canadian Pacific operated train usually only the coach passengers were inspected by US Customs at the border and the sleeping car passengers were just left alone. This same procedure was followed when VIA took over and extended the Atlantic through to Halifax in Oct. 1979.

The Atlantic was discontinued in Nov. 1981..... but reinstated in June 1985 and a whole new set of rules were to be followed:

Now US Customs and the Immigration insisted ALL passengers would be inspected. Eastbound Sleeping Car passengers were wakened at 3am ET in Jackman, Maine. Westbound wasn’t as bad: 9pm ET (10pm AT) at Vanceboro, Maine. The trains were running long and full so there were major delays in clearing the train.

Returning from Montreal on that first trip, I was in a sleeper. When they woke us at 3am the Inspector asked me the purpose of my trip. I said I was in the States only because the train was. He asked if I was trying to be “Smart” and said he would be back. Well he must have got the same reply from most others as I didn’t see him again. If they had left passengers alone, they would have gone to sleep in Canada and woke in Canada the next morning, some not even realizing they had even been thru the US.

The restored Atlantic was only back a short time before people were calling for it to be rerouted via Edmundston NB on the NTR to avoid crossing the US border. Passengers were switching to the Ocean to escape the hassle from US officials even if they had to change trains and wait a couple of hours in Moncton to connect to Halifax.

It took a couple of years of negotiations but eventually the train was “sealed” while on the 200 miles of CPR track across Maine. A small metal “tag” was looped through an eyelet on all doors except in the car where the US Customs Inspector rode.... only checking passengers getting off in the US. The inspector could see if the tag had been tampered with but it could easily snap-off in an emergency if the door had to be opened.

The trains always made several stops in Maine: Vanceboro, Danforth, Mattawamkeag, Brownville Jct., Greenville and Jackman. Local passengers were handled between US stops but anyone boarding in the US and going to Canada were checked by Canada Customs when the trains crossed back into Canada at McAdam NB or Megantic, Quebec.

The “Atlantic” was discontinued in December 1994.

VIA had another train similar to the “Atlantic” that crossed the US border than back into Canada. This was a tri-weekly RDC between Winnipeg and Thunder Bay. It entered the US at Warroad, Minnesota then re-entered Canada at Rainy River, Ontario. That train lasted until May 1977.

And if you go way back to the ‘60s: A CP RDC run between Montreal and Wells River, Vermont (Originally through to Boston) would cross into the US for about 10 miles to serve a couple of Vermont towns then back into Canada for 10 miles to a couple of stops in Quebec then finally back into Vermont. Don’t know how US and Canadian Customs handled this one!

Here's the timetable for the reinstated Atlantic in June 1985:

NS VIA FAN wrote:

ThinkNarrow wrote:My recollection of the "Atlantic" running across Maine was that at least the sleeping cars were treated as a "sealed train" complete with lead seals on the exterior doors.........

There were different procedures in handling the 'Atlantic' across Maine over the years:

According to my various acquaintances at US CBP, they said durng that time period, the requirement of a sealed section of the train was put into effect after a few incidents with passengers first saying they were just going thru and then getting off at US stops when no one was looking; turns out these passengers were inadmissible to the US due to being wanted in Canada...

AgentSkelly wrote:According to my various acquaintances at US CBP, they said durng that time period, the requirement of a sealed section of the train was put into effect after a few incidents with passengers first saying they were just going thru and then getting off at US stops when no one was looking; turns out these passengers were inadmissible to the US due to being wanted in Canada...

It was only the last 5 years or so before the Atlantic was discontinued in 1994 that the train was 'sealed' crossing thru Maine so I imagine there were probably 'several' incidents of passengers just getting off in the US in the previous 100 years of trains across Maine. (and Americans probably did the same in St Thomas Ontario on New York Central trains between Detroit and New York)

It was only after the Atlantic was sealed around 1990 that through passengers were no longer checked by US Customs/INS.

And those seals were only a tag on the doors that could easily be broken with a swift tug and they had to be that way due to safety regulations. I assume US Customs would walk the train after each stop to ensure tags were still intact and no one had 'hopped-off'

But why go to the trouble of hopping off when they could just walk or wade across? Here's the International Bridge the Atlantic crossed at Vanceboro. It's the local swimming hole (see the swinging rope). That's Canada on the right and Maine on the left....and an hour earlier!

I can't see the whole thing (I've used my 3 "free" articles): https://www.timesunion.com/business/art ... 367713.php

Agreement would allow customs preclearance at Montreal

Since the 1970s, Amtrak's Adirondack trains would stop each day at the border crossing between the United States and Canada as customs officers made their way through, interviewing every passenger and examining luggage and identification papers.
...

I read the dead-tree version of the article. As usual, Mr. Anderson did a good job. It also covers Amtrak's RFP for new locomotives and eventual order of new equipment (pointing out ideally larger windows so the view can be better enjoyed.)

But basically gist was, "folks want it to happen, the track in Montreal has been identified but... bureaucracy...."

Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Thu Aug 22, 2019 8:10 am I can't see the whole thing (I've used my 3 "free" articles): https://www.timesunion.com/business/art ... 367713.php

Use private or incognito browsing when viewing sites with limits

Nice tip, thanks!

The story buried the lead. Amtrak and NYSDOT are exploring a state funded equipment pool for the Adirondack and probably the entire Empire Service. There's a strong hint at the very end.

"Eh, maybe". I trust Eric Anderson to know his stuff, but on the same token, I don't trust anything to happen in NY in regards to this at this point.