VIA Rail
VIA Rail is a national rail service that provides passengers services across over 400 different Canadian communities. On our tour of Eastern Canada and The Cabot Trail, we travel on the VIA Rail Corridor line from Toronto to Montréal, then continue onwards to Québec; a spectacular one-day journey which affords wonderful views over Canada's stunning, vast landscapes. Economy Class facilities include complimentary Wi-Fi and comfortable, spacious seats. Light meals, snacks and drinks are available to purchase on the train, and there is a full service bar.
Established in 1977, VIA Rail was founded as a solution to Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau's call for rail service between cities to become essential. There were few options for passenger train travel before this, as much of the track in Canada was dedicated to freight service. VIA Rail became the first national passenger service in Canada at the time; it has now served passengers for more than 40 years.
VIA Rail took over track from the Canadian Pacific and Canadian
National Railways to create its first long-distance cross-country
passenger route from Vancouver to Montreal for its flagship
route. It named the train that ran the course the Canadian as
a nod to its predecessors. This occurred in 1978, just one year
after the line's founding. Since then, VIA Rail has expanded to
reach over 400 cities and towns throughout Canada, including major
destinations - such as Jasper, Winnipeg, Toronto,
Ottawa, and Quebec City - and more elusive locales, including
Churchill. There is a total of over 7,765 miles of track within the
VIA Rail network.
Passengers can capture the changes in the vast Canadian landscape
from the large picture windows that line the train cars. Most
trains are equipped with power outlets, and some journeys even
feature Wi-Fi Internet access. Guests are comfortable during travel
in any season, thanks to full air conditioning and heating on all
rail lines.
