# A VIA Business Experience



## NS VIA Fan (Mar 13, 2020)

With some VIA Preference Points to burn......I headed out on a 'Business Class' trip from Quebec City to Toronto last weekend.

VIA's Business Class is more of a First Class product than what Amtrak considers Business Class......offering a hot meal along with complementary beer, wine and liquor. It's available on just about every train in the Quebec City to Windsor Corridor and very popular with some trains even running with two Business Class cars. Weekends see fewer travellers....so I've found this the best time to travel with a bit more personal service offered......along with your choice of a better selection of seats. In the refurbished cars there are single seats in a 2+1 configuration....but half the car is set up with seats either forward facing or back to travel.

Amenities offered have slipped a bit over the years: the hot cloth is now a sealed paper towel (still hot). The meal courses arrive all at once on the tray.....and those signature after dinner truffles are now individually wrapped chocolate pieces. On thing that hasn't changed is the great staff and service.

My trip began at the beautifully restored Gare du Palais in Quebec City:

























Before we even departed a round of drinks was offered......and then the meal: I chose the Almond Crusted Chicken. (no that sauce is not pink!....it's just the lighting)


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## NS VIA Fan (Mar 13, 2020)

Continuing onto Toronto......I waited in the Business Lounge in Gare Centrale Montreal.









And again a beverage service followed by a hot meal. This time I chose the Pollock. All meals were very good.


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## Willbridge (Mar 13, 2020)

Great trip report. Of course, it reminded me that the Federal government promised us an LRC train in the Prairies, back when we still believed them.


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## NS VIA Fan (Mar 13, 2020)

Willbridge said:


> Great trip report. Of course, it reminded me that the Federal government promised us an LRC train in the Prairies, back when we still believed them.



Yes......found this interesting little tid-bit in an old Transport 2000 Bulletin with tentative LRC routes when they entered service in the 1980s including Prairie Intercity as well as:

-Atlantic Intercity Routes including a Halifax-Montreal daytime run across Maine.
-Quebec City to Ottawa on CP except for Montreal Central Station (now that would have been an interesting route)

(….and note that Amtrak LRC on the left in the photo below)


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## jiml (Mar 14, 2020)

Good report. Not at all like my last VIA 1 trip from Montreal to Toronto, where meal was served in foil trays with prepackaged utensils, no hot towel of any kind and hit or miss drink service. The food was not good and the service was worse.


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## NS VIA Fan (Mar 14, 2020)

jiml said:


> Good report. Not at all like my last VIA 1 trip from Montreal to Toronto, where meal was served in foil trays with prepackaged utensils, no hot towel of any kind and hit or miss drink service. The food was not good and the service was worse.



Never experienced anything like that. Amenities have slipped a bit.....but service has always been top-notch!


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