Resumption of Amtrak service to Canada (2022-2023 Q2)

[Amtrak25]

If the Vermonter ever gets to Montreal, it would not get there until at least 10:30pm, and then one has to go through pre-clearance, unless they run it earlier by having its southern terminus be NYC rather than DC. Not attractive.

I am all for putting it back on the Montrealer's schedule, even an hour of dwell time added in Springfield, MA to make for better times in Vermont. Then extend the Ethan Allen to Essex Jct and St Albans.

Whichever, there is no extending it to Montreal unless pre-clearance is built and certain infrastuctural demands on CN are made as well.

 

[ChuckL]

Pre-Covid Cascades Service between Seattle and Vancouver BC Schedule

Prior to the discontinuation of Cascades service between Seattle and Vancouver BC due to the pandemic, could anyone tell me what the former schedules were like? How many trains were there in each direction, and what were the approximate departure times from each city and the length of the trip? Thanks!

 

[niemi24s]

Here it (and all the others) is: Amtrak

 

[zephyr17]

Pre-Covid Cascades Service between Seattle and Vancouver BC Schedule

Prior to the discontinuation of Cascades service between Seattle and Vancouver BC due to the pandemic, could anyone tell me what the former schedules were like? How many trains were there in each direction, and what were the approximate departure times from each city and the length of the trip? Thanks!

There were two round trips, the Seattle-Vancouver morning north/evening south 516/519 pair, and the Portland-Vancouver afternoon/evening north, morning south pair 517/518.

The trip length between Seattle and Vancouver was approximately 4 hours. The southbound trains had additional time in their schedule for the onboard US Customs check at Blaine, WA. CBP did US Immigration at Vancouver in sort of a Preclearance-light, but customs on US soil.

516 left Seattle at 7:45 am and arrived Vancouver 11:45 am

519 left Vancouver at 5:45 pm and arrived Seattle at 10:10 pm.

518 left Portland at 3:00 pm, arrived Seattle at 6:30 pm, left Seattle at 7:00 pm and arrived Vancouver 11:00 pm.

517 left Vancouver at 6:35 am, arrived Seattle at 11:00 am, left Seattle at 11:30 am and arrived Portland at 3:00 pm.

Seattle was a service stop for 517/518 and the cafe was restocked there.

I expect when service resumes, the first train back will be the 516/519 or its equivalent, morning north, evening south.

 

[coalman]

I saw articles about service to Vancouver, Canada opening in September, but I could not book online, through train service in 2022. Is there any information on when service to Vancouver, Canada will resume?

 

[zephyr17]

I saw articles about service to Vancouver, Canada opening in September, but I could not book online, through train service in 2022. Is there any information on when service to Vancouver, Canada will resume?

Nothing more than the somewhat vague announcement from WSDOT that service will resume in September.

If the resumption of the Maple Leaf to Toronto is any guide, reservations only opened about one week before service resumed.

WSDOT has pretty much said only one round trip to start.

My own speculation is:
1. Service will not resume until the very end of the month.
2. The single daily round trip will be thr morning north/evening south pair that ran as 516/519 before COVID
3. We will not see a second train until WSDOT's Venture car order is in service.

 

[zephyr17]

Was fooling around with the new "route" option in scheduling and found something interesting.

Using the "Route option" and choosing the Amtrak Cascades and Adirondack routes, all service to Canada is there! Adirondack goes through to Montreal and BOTH train pairs to/from Vancouver show.

Using the "Station option" and choosing VAC-SEA and MTL-NYP, there is not service (which there actually isn't).

More kudos for those crack (on crack?) developers at Amtrak IT!

 

[Willbridge]

Was fooling around with the new "route" option in scheduling and found something interesting.

Using the "Route option" and choosing the Amtrak Cascades and Adirondack routes, all service to Canada is there! Adirondack goes through to Montreal and BOTH train pairs to/from Vancouver show.

Using the "Station option" and choosing VAC-SEA and MTL-NYP, there is not service (which there actually isn't).

More kudos for those crack (on crack?) developers at Amtrak IT!

In another dimension we may find the Pioneer, too.

 

[zephyr17]

In another dimension we may find the Pioneer, too.

I'm hoping for the North Coast Hiawatha...

 

[Bob Dylan]

I'm hoping for the North Coast Hiawatha...

And the Desert Wind thru Vegas!

 

[JWM]

One round trip a day for now. Link is Amtrak Is Restarting One of Its Most Scenic Routes Just in Time for Fall Getaways

 

[thully]

A couple months too late for my trip, though I enjoyed the ferries. Would do this next time I end up in Seattle/Vancouver though. If this had been running then and I had done VIA Corridor from Windsor, it could have been all rail except for Detroit-Windsor (and could be all-rail going by Chicago/Buffalo). Could make a same-day connection to/from the Canadian with this round-trip, though not the Empire Builder.

 

[zephyr17]

Confirm that tickets are for sale on the website for trains 516 and 519.

Business Class is through the roof compared to what it was at $105 SEA-VAC. $34 for coach. Think it might be linked only to the full Flex fare at $80, as $25 surcharge for Business is in line with what it had been. The Maple Leaf fares were screwy for the first few days after it came back in the system, so we'll see.

I think I may wait a couple days to shift my screwy Builder Everett-Seattle, Bus Seattle-Vancouver 10/29 reservation to 516, though.

 

[Northwestern]

I saw articles about service to Vancouver, Canada opening in September, but I could not book online, through train service in 2022. Is there any information on when service to Vancouver, Canada will resume?

Here is a recent article about the service returning this Sept:

https://is.gd/qWhIV1
From the article:

"Although Americans are allowed to enter Canada once again, there are still a few travel requirements. All passengers must use the ArriveCAN app to submit their proof of vaccination before travel—non-Canadian citizens must be fully vaccinated and also carry with them the vaccine record they uploaded to the app. All travelers are also required to wear masks on Canadian trains and inside Canadian rail stations".

I have some problems with this, but knowing that Covid and Vax discussions seem to not be welcomed in the forum, I will refrain.

 

[Amtrak25]

Do you stil need a quarantine plan ?

 

[Northwestern]

Do you stil need a quarantine plan ?

I have no idea.

 

[thully]

Do you stil need a quarantine plan ?

Not if fully vaccinated, which all non-Canadian citizens must be to enter. Though you still have to fill out ArriveCAN and are subject to random testing.

 

[coalman]

I tried making online reservations from PDC to Vancouver BC but could only get train to Seattle and then bus to canada. The article doesn't say when it will start.

 

[zephyr17]

I tried making online reservations from PDC to Vancouver BC but could only get train to Seattle and then bus to canada. The article doesn't say when it will start.

I assume you mean PDX.

The only train being resumed is the 516/519 SEA-VAC/VAC-SEA pair. It leaves Seattle too early to have any connections from Portland or any points south of Seattle.

Seattle to Vancouver is up and open for ticketing, I just looked at it and will be shifting my current Everett-Vancouver Builder/Bus reservation to it.

I do not think the PDX-SEA-VAC/VAC-SEA-PDX 517/518 pair is going to resume any time soon

 

[zephyr17]

Do you stil need a quarantine plan ?

No, but as of now you still need to do ArriveCan and are still subject to random arrivals testing.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Not if fully vaccinated, which all non-Canadian citizens must be to enter. Though you still have to fill out ArriveCAN and are subject to random testing.

What's the current definition of "fully vaccinated"? Just the original 1 or 2-dose ***, or how many boosters in addition?

 

[jiml]

What's the current definition of "fully vaccinated"? Just the original 1 or 2-dose ***, or how many boosters in addition?

Two. I believe an exception is also made for the one-dose J&J, although it was not offered here.

 

[GAT]

Will this train stop at Mount Vernon in both directions? OOPS! I just saw on the Condé Nast article the answer is "Yes." Glad to hear it.

 

[zephyr17]

What's the current definition of "fully vaccinated"? Just the original 1 or 2-dose ***, or how many boosters in addition?

For Canadian entry requirements, still 10 days after final dose of initial vaccine series (1 or 2 dose). No boosters required.

 

[zephyr17]

Will this train stop at Mount Vernon in both directions? OOPS! I just saw on the Condé Nast article the answer is "Yes." Glad to hear it.

It will stop at all the intermediate stops it did before, Edmonds, Everett, Stanwood, Mt. Vernon, and Bellingham.