TORONTO — Since they were introduced earlier this summer VIA Rail Canada Renaissance passenger cars have proven to be a big success, the Toronto Town Crier reported.
The new overnight train that is running between Montreal and Toronto, has become popular with businessmen and those who aren’t big fans of long train rides.
Equipped with state-of-the-art technology for passenger safety and comfort, the cars are specially designed to enhance overnight and business-class service. The equipment includes modern coaches; comfortable sleeping cars with private bedrooms and en-suite toilets, some with en-suite showers; and service cars, which include a travelers’ lounge area.
The new equipment is part of the federal government’s five-year, $402 million investment in passenger rail, designed to modernize the rail service and bring more trains, faster trains and more frequent services to Canadian travellers.
VIA has purchased a total of 139 new Renaissance cars. By the time they are all in service at the end of 2003, they will expand VIA’s national passenger rail fleet by one-third.
The new equipment was first introduced on the Enterprise trains, which depart from Montreal and Toronto at 11:30 p.m. The westbound train arrives in Toronto at 8:20 a.m., and the eastbound train arrives in Montreal at 8 a.m.
There’s a stopover in Kingston in the middle of the night accounting for the long travel time.
But passengers would never know it as they sleep soundly through the night. The suites are compact, but then again who needs that much room when they’re sawing logs.
Sleeping cars with en-suite showers enable the eager businessman to go straight from the train station, in the heart of both cities’ downtown cores to their early morning meetings or appointments.
And if you’re the claustraphobic kind the club car is open late, with friendly staff willing to help while away the hours.
The introduction of the new equipment will allow VIA to add new services in the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor later this fall, and enhance business and overnight services between Montreal and Halifax/Gaspé next year. As the new equipment is phased into service, VIA will be able to deploy equipment more efficiently across the entire passenger rail network..
VIA Rail Canada operates Canada’s national passenger rail network, with more than 480 trains weekly on 14,000 kilometres of track, connecting more than 450 Canadian communities from coast to coast. VIA trains carried almost four million passengers in 2001.