# Gaspe service ends September 17.



## Nathanael (Aug 23, 2013)

Track in poor condition. Passenger service suspended indefinitely. Freight service also suspended indefinitely.

http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/media-room/latest-news/66251/22-august-2013-via-rail-service-between-matapedia-new-ca


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## chakk (Aug 23, 2013)

Gordon Lightfoot is gritting his teeth: "Up the Saint Lawrence all the way to Gaspe" -- NOT!!


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## Nathanael (Aug 23, 2013)

In related news, there is still no published deal to preserve the line from Matapedia to Moncton (where CN has filed for abandonment), but the provincial government has announced that they're going to do something to save it.

http://nbliberal.ca/blog/post-news/rail-service-essential-to-the-north/


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## Nathanael (Aug 23, 2013)

Interestingly, it appears that services which are supposedly "mandated" by the Canadian Federal government can be discontinued. In previous Annual Reports, VIA listed both the Gaspe service and the Victoria-Courtenay service on Vancouver Island as "mandatory" services. I would be interested to find out what the nature of the legal mandate is.


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## gaspeamtrak (Aug 23, 2013)

I was born in Gaspe and live in Ontario now, but have ridden the train quite a bit over my life time.

There is virtually "no" freight service on the 202 miles from Matapedia to Gaspe.

The paper mills in New Carlile and Chandler have been closed for quite a while now.

The used/tried to haul some sort copper concentrate material from the mine in Murdochville by truck to Gaspe about 60 miles then shipped it out by train.

But that didn't last long either.

I have a friend who was down in Gaspe a few weeks ago and said they were working on the bridges in Sandy Beach, and another name I can't recall.

There are two huge trestles, one which is just as you leave Perce and one around Barachouis (sp) that are wooden I think and may also need repair?

If they get this train running again I highly reccommend taking a ride on it!

It is combined withe Ocean from Montreal to Matapedia and then separates and goes the 202 miles to Gaspe in roughly 6.5 to 7 hours then turns around and heads back to Montreal.

It usually (the Gaspe section) has 1 F-40- 1 baggage - 1 or 2 coaches - 1 midtrain dome/diner/lounge and 2 sleepers-more if needed.

A really neat cool little train.

Ride it if ever comes you will not be disappointed!


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## Anderson (Aug 23, 2013)

Is there still a section running there?


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## Swadian Hardcore (Aug 23, 2013)

Poor Chaleur! What's going to happen to the Chateau cars now? This track is in such bad shape that it could get pulled up and wiped out for good. If mandatory services can get cut, then VIA Rail could truly turn into NRoM except for the Corridor.



Anderson said:


> Is there still a section running there?


The Ocean still runs to Halifax. The Chaleur split off from the Ocean's route at Matapedia, and after that the whole line is done for.


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## Anderson (Aug 23, 2013)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> Poor Chaleur! What's going to happen to the Chateau cars now? This track is in such bad shape that it could get pulled up and wiped out for good. If mandatory services can get cut, then VIA Rail could truly turn into NRoM except for the Corridor.
> 
> 
> Anderson said:
> ...


Not what I mean. Is the Chaleur still running as a train, or was the bloody thing bustituted?


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## Swadian Hardcore (Aug 24, 2013)

Anderson said:


> Swadian Hardcore said:
> 
> 
> > Poor Chaleur! What's going to happen to the Chateau cars now? This track is in such bad shape that it could get pulled up and wiped out for good. If mandatory services can get cut, then VIA Rail could truly turn into NRoM except for the Corridor.
> ...


Not sure about that. I thought that the Chaleur was coupled to the Ocean until Matapedia, where it split off. I don't know if the bustiitute would run to Matapedia or Montreal, but I expect it would only Matapedia because the schedule should still line up with the Ocean's.

Sorry about the misunderstanding.


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## CHamilton (Aug 24, 2013)

I did some research, and it looks like there has been a bus for everything north of Matapédia since December 2011. That bus is now being discontinued, and there will be no service at all north of that point. The Ocean should be unaffected, since Matapédia is the point where the former Gaspé service split from the Ocean.


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## railiner (Aug 24, 2013)

Looks like the only way to tour Gaspe on "public transportation" now will be on the occasional cruise ship that calls there......

edit: nope,,,,,,I just checked, and Orleans Express is currently running a couple of bus trips a day into there.....


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## VentureForth (Aug 29, 2013)

Nathanael said:


> Interestingly, it appears that services which are supposedly "mandated" by the Canadian Federal government can be discontinued. In previous Annual Reports, VIA listed both the Gaspe service and the Victoria-Courtenay service on Vancouver Island as "mandatory" services. I would be interested to find out what the nature of the legal mandate is.


The Malahat (Victoria, BC to Courtenay) is no longer listed on the VIA website at all. Not even a part of their service map. Particularly sad, as my wife and I took this dilapidated RDC route on our honeymoon and loved it.

If this is continued, the communities of Churchill, Pukatawagan, Senneterre, Jonquiere, etc. should be very concerned.


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## CHamilton (Aug 29, 2013)

VentureForth said:


> The Malahat (Victoria, BC to Courtenay) is no longer listed on the VIA website at all. Not even a part of their service map. Particularly sad, as my wife and I took this dilapidated RDC route on our honeymoon and loved it.


Efforts are continuing to bring it back, but the latest news is not encouraging.


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## NS VIA Fan (Aug 29, 2013)

VentureForth said:


> If this is continued, the communities of Churchill, Pukatawagan, Senneterre, Jonquiere, etc. should be very concerned.


No, these communities will probably still have train service after others might lose theirs. These trains are operated as remote services as there is no other access available to some of the communities along the routes they serve.

The Pas (pronounced The Paw) to Pukatawagan is now operated by Keewatin Railway.

http://www.krcrail.ca/

And the VIA train between The Pas and Churchill may eventually be operated by the First Nation communities it serves also.

Besides VIA, other remote service passenger trains are operated between Sault St. Marie and Hearst by Algoma Central.......and between Cochrane and Moosonee by Ontario Northland.

Another First Nation operated railway is the Tshiuetin Rail passenger train between Sept-Iles and Schefferville, Quebec.

http://www.tshiuetin.net/an_informations.html

I rode VIA’s Montreal to Jonquiere train a couple of years ago. Just before we reached Riviere-a-Pierre the Service Manager came through and asked us to move everything of the seat next to us as he was going to need every one.......and he certainly did. The station parking lot was full and the baggage car was loaded up with groceries, supplies (and the occasional case of beer) for those heading to their homes or camps in the bush......There’s just no other way in.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Aug 29, 2013)

I'm sure the Hudson Bay and other remote, essential serivces will be retained throguh all the massive cuts. The Chaleur and Malahat were "mandatory" but no essential. Their communities are still served by alternatives. That's a major difference and VIA Rail seems to draw the line there.


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## NS VIA Fan (Aug 30, 2013)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> I'm sure the Hudson Bay and other remote, essential serivces will be retained throguh all the massive cuts. The Chaleur and Malahat were "mandatory" but no essential. Their communities are still served by alternatives. That's a major difference and VIA Rail seems to draw the line there.


Yes, you certainly can’t consider the Gaspe line a remote service. Excellent highways and Orleans Express has 4 arrivals and 4 departures per day at Gaspe with 2 buses each way on the south coast (parallel to the Chaleur route) and 2 buses each way on the north shore. There’s also airline service at Gaspe and Bonaventure.

The Chaleur always had good ridership but it was the track conditions that did it in. A very expensive piece of track to maintain for three round-trip per week and almost non-existent freight.


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## Nathanael (Aug 31, 2013)

NS VIA Fan said:


> VentureForth said:
> 
> 
> > If this is continued, the communities of Churchill, Pukatawagan, Senneterre, Jonquiere, etc. should be very concerned.
> ...


The services where the local First Nations are willing to step up to operate service will presumably continue -- however, it seems likely that *VIA* will discontinue them, or start operating them only as contract services.


> I rode VIAs Montreal to Jonquiere train a couple of years ago. Just before we reached Riviere-a-Pierre the Service Manager came through and asked us to move everything of the seat next to us as he was going to need every one.......and he certainly did. The station parking lot was full and the baggage car was loaded up with groceries, supplies (and the occasional case of beer) for those heading to their homes or camps in the bush......Theres just no other way in.


I don't think that's going to prevent VIA from discontinuing those services if the track conditions get bad. The federal government seems to be looking for any excuse to offload services to the provinces or locals, and doesn't seem to care what the result is. Would Quebec pick up the services? Maybe.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Aug 31, 2013)

Nathanael said:


> NS VIA Fan said:
> 
> 
> > VentureForth said:
> ...


Can't the locals themselves in Jonquiere pick up the service just like how Churchill locals would [ick up the Hudson Bay?


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## NS VIA Fan (Sep 1, 2013)

Nathanael said:


> NS VIA Fan said:
> 
> 
> > I rode VIAs Montreal to Jonquiere train a couple of years ago. Just before we reached Riviere-a-Pierre the Service Manager came through and asked us to move everything of the seat next to us as he was going to need every one.......and he certainly did. The station parking lot was full and the baggage car was loaded up with groceries, supplies (and the occasional case of beer) for those heading to their homes or camps in the bush......Theres just no other way in.
> ...


The CN line to Jonquiere and to a lesser extent, Senneterre are busy, active freight railroads so currently, there’s probably little chance of track conditions getting so bad that VIA would consider eliminating service like the line into Gaspe that has no freight customers at all.

Jonquiere (Jon-key-air) is part of the greater Saguenay area with a population of 150,000 and has good airline, bus and freeway access......... but it’s the 125 mile section of the CN line down to Montreal between Lac-Bouchette and Riviere-a-Pierre that lacks road access.

.......So is it time to bring back the “Mixed Train”? CN is essentially a scheduled freight railroad......a passenger car could be added to freights serving Jonquiere and Senneterre for access to the isolated areas.

There could be VIA involvement like the Pukatawagan train where VIA provides the equipment:

http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/our-fleet/combination-baggage-coach-car

........Or another operator subsidized directly by the Federal or Provincial governments. The times I’ve been on the trains to Northern Quebec, they’re been busy so several coach and baggage cars would be required. I’ve also seen a Park Car occasional tacked on the end.







Here’s a link to my Trip Report for the Jonquiere train I posted at another site:

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=155&t=59982&p=647749#p647749


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## Swadian Hardcore (Sep 1, 2013)

I would love to ride a dome car on the Jonquiere train. They also occasionally throw one in the Hudson Bay. Would be a cool ride, but often too expensive!


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## Anderson (Sep 2, 2013)

Just a note, but as I understand it VIA technically operates the Churchill service under a remote services contract. With that in mind, it seems quite plausible that the contract could simply be transferred.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Sep 3, 2013)

Anderson said:


> Just a note, but as I understand it VIA technically operates the Churchill service under a remote services contract. With that in mind, it seems quite plausible that the contract could simply be transferred.


Good, that way I'll be able to wait for a good deal and grab it! I love remote train rides, the Churchill ride is probably the most remote that is connected to the North American rail grid. ONr comes close.


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## NS VIA Fan (Sep 6, 2013)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> Anderson said:
> 
> 
> > Just a note, but as I understand it VIA technically operates the Churchill service under a remote services contract. With that in mind, it seems quite plausible that the contract could simply be transferred.
> ...


If you’re planning on travelling all the way from Winnipeg to Churchill I think I’d go sooner than later. Even now the “Hudson Bay” is only travelling two days a week between Winnipeg and The Pas. North of there it’s still tri-weekly. The runs to and from Winnipeg are probably more for servicing the equipment than anything else as it certainly couldn’t be considered a remote service south of The Pas.

“If” the trains were to be turned over to another operator……I’m guessing they would only operate from The Pas and north. Keewatin Railway, which operates the Pukatawagan Mixed is already based in The Pas and would probably be a candidate to run the service.

And it probably depends on the type of equipment that might be used on the Churchill train. If it were to continue as a full-service train with diners and sleepers, and VIA leasing out the equipment, it might still run to Winnipeg.

But this is all speculation. So if you want to ride from Winnipeg……I’d do it now. North of The Pas…..there will probably be some type of service until roads reach into the area.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Sep 6, 2013)

NS VIA Fan said:


> Swadian Hardcore said:
> 
> 
> > Anderson said:
> ...


Can't do it anytime very soon. Earliest I'll be able to try would be 2016. If the Winnipeg section gets cut, at least I'll ride the section north of The Pas. I think bus service still operates up there from Winnipeg, I don't know if it's Greyhound or Grey Goose.


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## CHamilton (Sep 17, 2013)

From Facebook:



> National Dream Renewed
> 
> Google translation: The NDP MP for Gaspésie and Îles sees little hope of a return VIA Rail Gaspésie.
> NOT REASSURING
> ...


Original article in French.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Sep 17, 2013)

We all know it's not going to happen. Best hopes for the ex-VIA employees along the line to find a new job. The VIA Rail network will just be getting more and more limited in the following years.


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