# Departing Toronto on the Canadian



## Steve4031 (Jun 11, 2013)

The train has a rather late departure. What time is it usually ready for boarding? When can passengers start dropping luggage off for red cap service? Any food service available before departure?

Thanks


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 11, 2013)

:hi: Nice trip! There will be Light Snacks and Drinks available in the Lounge for First Class Passengers and a Wine and Snack Reception in the Park Car when the Train Rolls out headed across Canada! There are literally thousands of places to eat in Greater Toronto (the New York City of Canada) and since the Train Leaves Late be sure and have your Dinner before you arrive @ Union Station!

The VIA Agents that check you in will check any Luggage you may want to Check (Remember space is Very Limited on VIA Trains and you can only carry on 2 pieces of Baggage each!) Just tell the Agent when you check in that you would like a Red Cap, they will tell you the Time to be available in the Lounge to Board! Boarding usually starts around 8PM and since you are in a Sleeping Car you will be able to Board ahead of the Coach Passengers! Your Attendant will Greet you @ the Door to your Car and ya'll will be all set for a Wonderful Adventure in the Great White North!


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## pennyk (Jun 11, 2013)

I made mistake of eating a late lunch/early dinner at a Pub before my Canadian trip out of Toronto. I was a bit hungry when I boarded and ended up eating quite a few cookies in the Park Car while drinking wine. 

Have a great trip. I went in December 2011 and the train was not crowded at all. It was a magnificent trip.


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## OBS (Jun 12, 2013)

Steve4031 said:


> The train has a rather late departure. What time is it usually ready for boarding? When can passengers start dropping luggage off for red cap service? Any food service available before departure?
> Thanks


You could probably drop off luggage with redcap anytime late aft/early evening. They are very good about stowing the luggage in your room well before the train is available for boarding. Then you can be free to wander.


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## AlanB (Jun 12, 2013)

OBS said:


> You could probably drop off luggage with redcap anytime late aft/early evening. They are very good about stowing the luggage in your room well before the train is available for boarding. Then you can be free to wander.


Steve, this is what my mom & I did in Vancouver after the OTOL Fest. We went by the station around Noon - 1PM and stopped by the Redcap desk. They checked our bigger suitcases for us, and they sort of daychecked our carryon's for us. By sort of I mean that they held them for us until the train pulled into the station, and then they placed the carryon's in our room for us.

So other than my laptop computer that I give to no one, we didn't have to carry any of our bags around with us for the day and we didn't have to worry about even carrying them out to the train.  Then after you guys left on the Cascades back to the States, we just went to the lounge and relaxed until boarding. Sure enough our carryon's were waiting for us in our room and we didn't see our checked bags until Toronto.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 12, 2013)

Thanks for the info. I recall using red caps in Vancouver years ago, and having bags in my room. I am plannig a day of street car riding with a friend. If the red caps are not accepting luggage until the afternoon, then I can hopefully day check my bag in morning and reclaim it closer to departure. We are planning to eat a big dinner around 5 or 6 pm.


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## AlanB (Jun 12, 2013)

Steve,

If I know Mike, he's planning a pizza dinner. :lol:


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## Steve4031 (Jun 12, 2013)

AlanB said:


> Steve,
> If I know Mike, he's planning a pizza dinner. :lol:


This one's gonna be a steak dinner. We are going to ride street cars on Monday and Tuesday. I am having a heck of a time getting decent schedules to plan the rides. The Iphone apps for Toronto transit are useless.


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## Steve4031 (Aug 15, 2013)

Here's my experience with luggage in Toronto. Via has a checked luggage desk in the arrivals level of union station. If you have sleeping car accommodations you can store your luggage for free. Around. 6:45-7 pm red caps are available to make at tangents to put luggage on the train.

The baggage check person advised me that I could give my claim check to the red cap and the red cap would collect the bags and place them in the room. In practice the red cap walked with me to claim bags to make sure correct bags were claimed. I appreciated his thoroughness.

Sleeping car check in occurred about 8 pm iirc. They take dining car reservations for lunch and dinner of the next day.

Boarding occurred by car number. This was well organized. Boarding started about 9:30. We departed on time.


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## jis (Aug 15, 2013)

I guess I will have to give this new four day schedule a shot one of these days. I was on the last run eastwards of the old three day schedule. Ibetter get to it before it becomes a five day schedule with a day stopover in Winnipeg just to provide enough padding


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## OBS (Aug 15, 2013)

Steve4031 said:


> Here's my experience with luggage in Toronto. Via has a checked luggage desk in the arrivals level of union station. If you have sleeping car accommodations you can store your luggage for free. Around. 6:45-7 pm red caps are available to make at tangents to put luggage on the train.
> The baggage check person advised me that I could give my claim check to the red cap and the red cap would collect the bags and place them in the room. In practice the red cap walked with me to claim bags to make sure correct bags were claimed. I appreciated his thoroughness.
> 
> Sleeping car check in occurred about 8 pm iirc. They take dining car reservations for lunch and dinner of the next day.
> ...


Hope you enjoy the trip, one of my favorite trains!


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## Steve4031 (Aug 15, 2013)

It's one of my favorites too. Been a great trip too. Sleeping car attendant Jessica has to be one of the best. The entertainment hostess hailey is also good. They worked Toronto to Winnipeg.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Aug 15, 2013)

How's the ridership? Is it going up or down?


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## jis (Aug 16, 2013)

Down, specially in the winter because there are fewer trains.


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## zephyr17 (Aug 16, 2013)

Steve4031 said:


> Around. 6:45-7 pm red caps are available to make at tangents to put luggage on the train.


Not sure what you mean about "...available to make at tangents..."? I am taking the Canadian out of Toronto next month, will be arriving from Montreal around 3 pm and will want to have my bags held, then taken out to my accomodation (like they do at Vancouver). Since you've done it and know the drill, what or where is "at tangents". Only been to Toronto Union Station a couple of times and not all that familiar with it.


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## zephyr17 (Aug 16, 2013)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> How's the ridership? Is it going up or down?


Probably down if discounting the product at peak time means anything. They've been running 50% off sales like crazy this summer. I'm signed up for Via Preference and get all the emails.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Aug 17, 2013)

zephyr17 said:


> Swadian Hardcore said:
> 
> 
> > How's the ridership? Is it going up or down?
> ...


This could turn into the final nail in the coffin for VIA. The Canadian is pretty much what all Canadian LD trains are centered around, at least with PR.


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## pennyk (Aug 17, 2013)

Steve, I hope you are enjoying your trip.


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