Well if the Adirondack ever comes back for real, this is a good article for first-time riders.
I'm really surprised about this. In typical French fashion, customer service can be a bit "basic" but that applies equally to everyone including French-speaking customers. Americans used to be seen as "cash cows" in Montreal specifically and in my early days of business travel there we were advised to carry and flash US cash to receive better service in restaurants and bars. (At the time there was a lot of hostility towards uni-lingual English Canadians.) In the past 40 years though, since the spectre of separation has faded, Montreal service seems to be balanced at slightly below average (which can be said of a lot of places more recently).
Until a long term solution can be made, this might be the best way to go.
No customs at Rouses Point when heading to Canada. It is at Lacolle. Better to do it at one of the road checkpoints on the bus’ way to Montreal.
I’ve been to Montreal a number of times and have always enjoyed it and found the people friendly. But since you mentioned it, the Central Station VIA personnel were a bit snarly.
???
I was just thinking that if it were going to be a long term operation, it might be nice to have the transfer bus - train , and customs inspection at the same place, to only have to get off/on once. Perhaps they could put some kind of station right at the border, to be used both ways…l
If they switch to buses, they'll just do it at the standard highway Ports of Entry at Rouses Point and Lacolle on either side of the border. They're already there and staffed on a major highway (I 87/A15). There is no reason for CBSA and CBP to open new facilities for buses when they already have facilities that routinely handle buses right there.I was just thinking that if it were going to be a long term operation, it might be nice to have the transfer bus - train , and customs inspection at the same place, to only have to get off/on once. Perhaps they could put some kind of station right at the border, to be used both ways…l
got to love those faux articles on business insider. mostly written by teenagers/college students.
So there's a demand.
A bus is what 55 passengers? How many are need to be profitable? The operation cost is a bit lower thanks to the open access freeway they travel on.
The rails don’t lose the heat as fast as the air temperature. It’s a bit more of peak temperature, with the conditions of the rails. CN is playing it a bit harsh and use safety as their excuse for it. Hard to fight the 300lb gorilla.
Yeah, it's their ball and their bat. They can take it and go home, which they did.
Even without sleeping cars I think an overnight train could be viable. Even Amfleet coach is a huge improvement over a bus. And it would be pretty easy to reconfigure an Amfleet to 2:1 seating as a premium option.
