VIA Winter service in Western Canada

[Rasputin]

Yes, but the roomette is designed to be able to get out of bed and pop the bed up without leaving the room due to the privacy curtain all roomettes have.

Don't the roomettes have solid doors and not just curtains?

 

[jis]

Don't the roomettes have solid doors and not just curtains?

At least the ones I have traveled in had sliding doors, and it was still possible to pop the bed up without opening the door. It is possible that people of significantly larger girth than me might require to open the door, but their hind end would still be hidden by the curtain outside the door I suppose.

 

[OBS]

Don't the roomettes have solid doors and not just curtains?

Yes. The curtain is outside the solid door so allows you to step out of room without being seen, other than your feet.

 

[fdaley]

Yeah, but I thought the roomette toilets are not accessible when the bed is down.

Yes, in the traditional roomettes, if one needs the facilities in the middle of the night, the choice is to fold up the bed or put on one's slippers and shuffle out to find a restroom elsewhere. But in the VIA sleepers, the section restrooms are all the way at the other end of the car -- or out through the cold, snowy vestibule to the next car. So the nuisance of folding up the bed might seem less than the alternatives, depending on how good one's slippers are.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Well, there are restrooms on both sides, so sections 1 and 2 both are next to restrooms. There should not be much traffic at night, but the shower can get a lot of use early in the morning, I have no idea how noisy it is in the adjoining section. Of course, the restrooms will be busy with your fellow 5 berth passengers in the car in the am, too.

I thought you were worried about aisle traffic, as I can see that could be very disturbing to those sleeping in sections.

Not only are the meals better, but any VIA bed is vastly more comfortable than an Amtrak roomette. Open section berths are reputed to be the most comfortable of them all (I cannot venture an opinion, I always have a roomette on VIA, and those beds are much more comfortable than Amtrak's).

I've ridden in Lower Berths twice on the Canadian, and have not been bothered by noise @ night as the heavy curtains do a better job of isolating the space than Amtraks Doors and Walls do in the Sleepers.

Also there's no Light showing through the curtain unlike the Mesh Curtains Amtrak has on the Roomettes.

The biggest problem I've found with Section berths is the lack of Luggage Space since any carryons have to be kept in your Section( you can hang clothing on the wall on a space available basisby the Shower and Restrooms).

When it comes to the Shower, we had the drain Freeze closed on one trip,( -30) but it was Fixed during the Winipeg stop, so we were without a Shower for only one night.

Of course, Upper Berths have no Window, just like Superliner Uppers, so the Lower Berths are the way to go if traveling in a Section.

 

[railiner]

Yes, in the traditional roomettes, if one needs the facilities in the middle of the night, the choice is to fold up the bed or put on one's slippers and shuffle out to find a restroom elsewhere. But in the VIA sleepers, the section restrooms are all the way at the other end of the car -- or out through the cold, snowy vestibule to the next car. So the nuisance of folding up the bed might seem less than the alternatives, depending on how good one's slippers are.

There’s where the cheaper Slumbercoaches had the advantage…Their narrower beds allowed one to use the toilet at night, without the need to raise the bed. For those who needed to use them frequently for whatever reason, it was a great convenience…

 

[railiner]

Your comment plus "camping with steve"'s video confirms though that at least sometimes sleeper passengers arent allowed in economy. Im guess they want to make sure theres enough seats in the economy dome for economy passengers? I know on Amtrak sleeper passengers can walk through the whole train.

On Amtrak, they may be allowed to walk the whole train, but are not allowed to occupy coach seats (which they might wish to, since they are more comfortable for daytime travel).

 

[zephyr17]

So the nuisance of folding up the bed might seem less than the alternatives, depending on how good one's slippers are.

I've done both and pretty much settled on lifting the bed. I stopped putting it up all the way into the wall, I just release it and just put it up to its balance point, which is like a 60° or 70° angle. That's easy and quick.

I'd also just walk to the other end of the car barefoot.

 

[joelkfla]

Of course, Upper Berths have no Window, just like Superliner Uppers, so the Lower Berths are the way to go if traveling in a Section.

And you pay about $100 more for a lower.

But just a reminder: at least for the winter months, you can book berths on the Canadian 1 to 2 months out at roughly half price at Sleeper Plus class deals. Reservations at those rates are non-refundable, unmodifiable, and not subject to any further discounts.

At this moment, lower berths are available on that page on the full route of every Canadian thru 2/19/23, and upper berths thru 3/1/23. I suspect lower berths may be added for after 2/19 as time progresses.

I don't know how good availability is during the summer months.

 

[user 5784]

referring to previous post regarding sleeper passengers not being allowed to sit in coach--well of course, i wouldnt expect to be able to take up a coach seat. i was just referring to simply walk. Only reason i want to go into economy would be to use the dome there occasionally. However, as long as i can secure a front row seat in any skyline dome avail for sleeper passengers, it wont be a huge deal for me.

And you pay about $100 more for a lower.

But just a reminder: at least for the winter months, you can book berths on the Canadian 1 to 2 months out at roughly half price at Sleeper Plus class deals. Reservations at those rates are non-refundable, unmodifiable, and not subject to any further discounts.

At this moment, lower berths are available on that page on the full route of every Canadian thru 2/19/23, and upper berths thru 3/1/23. I suspect lower berths may be added for after 2/19 as time progresses.

I don't know how good availability is during the summer months.

to me, its worth 100 extra to have a window to look out at at night. Plus i believe can feel Claustrophic in the upper, plus you have to deal with climbing up and down.

 

[user 5784]

The shower door is around the bend in the corridor, so I don't recall even being aware of whether the shower was in use when I was in Lower 2. And the restrooms are really mainly for the people in the three sections (a maximum of six people) in your car, and often at least some of those spaces are empty, so it's not as though people are standing in the aisle waiting for their turn. The occasional person passing from car to car might duck into one of those restrooms, but figure that all of the roomette and bedroom passengers have their own facilities in their rooms.

The major issue with the sections is just that you have only a heavy curtain between your space and the corridor, and there are ladders to the upper berths that take up some space in the aisle. So if there are a lot of people going back and forth through the train, you hear them passing and perhaps bumping into the ladders as they go by. In my experience the aisle traffic was pretty low throughout the night, but it picks up in the morning as people head to breakfast. And there can be a lot of commotion if you come into a major station late at night, such as Winnipeg, which often winds up being a middle-of-the-night stop on the eastbound run. For me, after a day of riding in the domes followed by a good dinner with a glass of wine or a nightcap in the Park car, I was able to tune out most of the aisle traffic.

thanks for the info. Ive ridden coach/economy whatever you call it a lot in many places in the US and the world, so ive dealt with noise, just hoping it will be somewhat quiet on my Canadian trip next month and sounds like i shouldnt have any probs. Im looking forward to simply having a bed and meals (last time i rode the Canadian i went economy from toronto to vancouver!). re the late night stop at winnipeg, if on time i may stay up for that and not go to bed until afterwards. Then hopefully be up for sioux lookout. Is there anything to do in Winnipeg at that late hour (station inside or outside).

btw i was using the diagram of the sleeper on this website--it appeared shower was right next to where my berth will be but maybe more room there than i thought: VIA Rail's Canadian | The train from Toronto to Vancouver

 

[zephyr17]

btw i was using the diagram of the sleeper on this website--it appeared shower was right next to where my berth will be but maybe more room there than i thought: VIA Rail's Canadian | The train from Toronto to Vancouver

The diagram is accurate and pretty much to scale. The shower is on the other side of the bulkhead right behind your head when the berth is down. The door to the shower room is on the opposite side from section 2, facing down the aisle towards the bedrooms.

As to the impact on you of it being immediately on the other side of the bulkhead, I'd go with @fdaley's experience. He's traveled in that accommodation, I haven't. I am usually in roomette 3 or 4 and can tell you all about those...

 

[zephyr17]

Yes. The curtain is outside the solid door so allows you to step out of room without being seen, other than your feet.

The curtain is also a heavy blackout curtain closed by a heavy duty zipper. It is nothing like the thin curtains velcroed shut that Amtrak has. I zip the curtain shut before closing the door for the night. When I have to lift the bed at night and simply slide the door open (the curtaon already being shut), stand up, release and partly lift bed, do my business, lower the bed (not forgetting to slip the safety hook back over the release lever), slide the door shut, latch it, and turn the light off. It is really quite easy and pretty quick.

 

[fdaley]

Is there anything to do in Winnipeg at that late hour (station inside or outside).

Most things in Winnipeg will be closed when No. 2 goes through (unless it's many, many hours late). However, if you go out the front door of the station, cross Main Street and continue one block up Broadway, the Fort Garry Hotel will be on your left. It's an old CN hotel with some grand public spaces and might have a restaurant or pub that's open late. At least it would be worth peeking at the lobby. We stayed there once many years ago and loved it.

I remember there was a railway museum on the upper level at the Winnipeg station, but we never seemed to land there at a time when it was open and when we had enough time to explore it. Apparently it was forced to move out at the end of 2021 and has not yet found a new home.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Most things in Winnipeg will be closed when No. 2 goes through (unless it's many, many hours late). However, if you go out the front door of the station, cross Main Street and continue one block up Broadway, the Fort Garry Hotel will be on your left. It's an old CN hotel with some grand public spaces and might have a restaurant or pub that's open late. At least it would be worth peeking at the lobby. We stayed there once many years ago and loved it.

I remember there was a railway museum on the upper level at the Winnipeg station, but we never seemed to land there at a time when it was open and when we had enough time to explore it. Apparently it was forced to move out at the end of 2021 and has not yet found a new home.

In all of my Eastbound Trips on the Canadian(5) I have NEVER arrived even close to on time into Winnipeg, the Usual time of arrival has been around 1AM-2AM, which means Nothing is Open inside or around the Station, except for Ticket and Baggage Service.

Since the Train is serviced during the Stop, if you get off you will have to remain inside the Station until it is time to reboard for the departure of #2..

There is really nothing to do inside the Station but walk around or sit down in the uncomfortable seats.

 

[fdaley]

In all of my Eastbound Trips on the Canadian(5) I have NEVER arrived even close to on time into Winnipeg, the Usual time of arrival has been around 1AM-2AM, which means Nothing is Open inside or around the Station, except for Ticket and Baggage Service.

Since the Train is serviced during the Stop, if you get off you will have to remain inside the Station until it is time to reboard for the departure of #2..

There is really nothing to do inside the Station but walk around or sit down in the uncomfortable seats.

Yeah, if it's late, it's probably better to just stay on the train, as you'll otherwise have to wait for some time to get back on board. The VIA facility is rather utilitarian, even though it's within a classic beaux-arts station building. There's a great rotunda between the VIA waiting area and the street, but as I recall there's nowhere to sit in the big hall. So once you've gawked at it for a few minutes, you either have to go on out to the street or retreat to the low-ceilinged VIA waiting room. Also, on a February night in Winnipeg, it's likely to be bitterly cold -- as in subzero Fahrenheit, probably with wind -- much colder than it will have been in Vancouver or Jasper.

 

[Brian Battuello]

I've posted this before in another topic some time ago, but hope you don't mind my repeating.

When I took the Canadian in 2008 with my mother, I made a 7 minute video. I used a tiny point and shoot camera, so it isn't the greatest quality, but it is set to a very nice train song:



And here is a very high quality (and very long) video by another rider. Well worth skimming through, and some good scenery starts around 1 hour 4 minutes:

 

[BlackDiamond]

Nice video Brian! The Gordon Lightfoot soundtrack are a great addition. I remember those songs from the (misnamed) "Last Train Across Canada" that played on PBS many years ago.

Makes me want to repeat my 1984 Canadian trip Montreal - Vancouver.

 

[user 5784]

Im looking forward to my ride on the Canadian departing Vancouver on Monday the 13th. ill be going all the way to toronto. then a night there and another train to Montreal, before returning to my home state of Vermont via the dog.

Im in lower berth im in car 210, unit 02L. Do they orientate the car the same direction every trip? Just wondering if ill be on the left or ride side of the train as it travels. Wont make much difference to me, im just curious.

Good thing i took advantage of the sleeper deal while it lasted. from what i can see on via website, no specials left this month and maybe no specials next month either.

 

[fdaley]

Im looking forward to my ride on the Canadian departing Vancouver on Monday the 13th. ill be going all the way to toronto. then a night there and another train to Montreal, before returning to my home state of Vermont via the dog.

Im in lower berth im in car 210, unit 02L. Do they orientate the car the same direction every trip? Just wondering if ill be on the left or ride side of the train as it travels. Wont make much difference to me, im just curious.

Good thing i took advantage of the sleeper deal while it lasted. from what i can see on via website, no specials left this month and maybe no specials next month either.

You should be on the left-hand side as you face forward. I can't swear that they never reverse the orientation of these cars, but on every VIA trip I can recall going back to the '80s, the sections have been at the forward end of each sleeper. Enjoy your trip and let us know how it goes.

[Edited to clarify: I was intending to discuss orientation of the car, not direction of travel.]

 

[Bob Dylan]

You should be on the left-hand side as you face forward. I can't swear that they never reverse the direction of these cars, but on every VIA trip I can recall going back to the '80s, the sections have been at the forward end of each sleeper. Enjoy your trip and let us know how it goes.

Ditto for me,on all my Canadian trips the Sections were forward as fdaley said.

 

[uncleboots]

Im looking forward to my ride on the Canadian departing Vancouver on Monday the 13th. ill be going all the way to toronto. then a night there and another train to Montreal, before returning to my home state of Vermont via the dog.

Im in lower berth im in car 210, unit 02L. Do they orientate the car the same direction every trip? Just wondering if ill be on the left or ride side of the train as it travels. Wont make much difference to me, im just curious.

Good thing i took advantage of the sleeper deal while it lasted. from what i can see on via website, no specials left this month and maybe no specials next month either.

I took the. Canadian in the middle of June. It didn’t get dark til 11PM and the sun came up at 4:45 AM.That was interesting

 

[Urban Sky]

You should be on the left-hand side as you face forward. I can't swear that they never reverse the direction of these cars, but on every VIA trip I can recall going back to the '80s, the sections have been at the forward end of each sleeper.

The Canadian operates backwards only when backing into the stations of Saskatoon, Edmonton and Vancouver and westbound also when backing from the Newmarket Subdivision onto the North York Subdivision at Snider (approx. 45 minutes after leaving Toronto). At all other times it will be moving in only one direction: forwards…

Edit: Newmarket, not: Newcastle Subdivision

 

[user 5784]

thanks for the info everyone, ill be sure to report back on my trip once ive returned to my home in Vermont. Unless im able to connect to some sort of wifi/hotspot on the train or at any stations enroute, then i imagine i wont be able to post anything until my trip is finished.

 

[Rasputin]

thanks for the info everyone, ill be sure to report back on my trip once ive returned to my home in Vermont. Unless im able to connect to some sort of wifi/hotspot on the train or at any stations enroute, then i imagine i wont be able to post anything until my trip is finished.

Have a great trip and we look forward to your report.