Yeah, don't know why people keep saying it's difficult to get to downtown from the VIA rail station. Just step out of the station and look to your left and there is the LRT. When I visited Ottawa, I didn't rent a car or use a single Uber or taxi.
To walk to the Trainyards mall - that should be under 10 minutes if there was a bridge over the tracks from the station - instead is at least 25 minutes and along some very inhospitable roads. And you can really only get to the station by car or transit - not somewhere to walk up to.
When originally built most of trains at Central station were outdoors like in Ottawa. But as CN built parking lot and head office and then The Queen Elizabeth Hotel and Place Bonaventure, only the transcontinental trains would have their southernmost cars outdoors. Some of the eastern platforms (higher numbered) go under Place Ville Marie so those too used to be outdoors north of René Lévesque prior to Place Ville Marie being built. After 1989 cuts, no train was ever long enough to extent south of Place Bonaventure.
The Siemens sets are actually the slowest Via trains at the moment because they have not yet been certified for the higher speed limits that other types use. Until that happens they are limited to the default "Passenger" speed limit. LRC and HEP coaches use a higher "Passenger+" speed limit and Renaissance coaches use the highest "LRC" speed limit.
the Turbo Train still has the speed record for North America at 273kmh. It ran from late 1960s to early 1980s. It was able to do Montréal-Toronto in 3 hours 59 minutes but over time was slowed down to the same speed as the conventional trains, and while the LRC was also capapble of higher speeds was track limited to same speeds as conventional and Turbo (during 1981, the 2 ran at same time). As I recall the LRC promised 225kmh but was never allowed that in service and at time it was introduced, the Turbo had already been slowed down to normal speeds too. The siemens are not high speed as their top speed is 200kmh. The 1950s signalling in use in canada does not allow higher than 200 because the driver wouldn't see the colour of light in time to take action. Max speed is technically 152kmh where tracks permit. There is a strech between oiutside of Ottawa , through Caselman and Moose Creek where the VIA trains maintain that speed (though if you stop at Caselman, you lose that one stretch). There is another short stretch where train is allowed higher than 130 on the Alexandria sub, and then you have to wait till you reach Kingston sub where you can reach up to 150 to Dorval. Cheating to 160 can be seen from time to time. Ottawa has not seen long distance trains since end of 1989 when the last trans continental ran. The tracks between Ottawa and Sudbury no lonegr exist. Of the stainless steel train you saw, the ones with smaller windows are from Amtrak Heritage that can date back to 1945 and were rebuilt by VIA in the mid 1990s after having scrapped all the ex CN cars at the big 1989 cuts and realized it lacked capacity on the Corridor. The ones with longer windows are generally the ex CP transcontinental coaches built 1955. The only trains Ottawa sees now are to Toronto and Montréal (and VIA now makes some of those trains continued to Québec). When you consider that CDPQ nearly halved the number of train tracks potentially available at Central Station, the station is not much bigger than Ottawa's in terms of number of tracks.. Ottawa's station was built to kill train travel. The station used to be downtown next to Rideau Canala where the Senate now is. 1 track continued north under Wellington to get on the Alexandra bridge to Hull. The Canadian would arrive at Ottaw Union with locomotive facing north, thenc ross to Hull, turn left/west and cross back to Ontario on the Prince of Wlaes bridge (now a bike path) to rejoin the trans continental tracks to Sudbury. This way it did not have to back off Ottawa station to where the 417 is now and then resume travel west. Moving the train station out of the way (at the time, truly in middle of nowhere) allowed the redeveloipment of the rideau canal from very igly industrial railway yards into nice green linear park. But until the transitway was built, the station was far away and inaccessible. Ottawa has grown since and this is now part of populated area and they replaced the reliable transitway with the LRT amusement ride that sometimes works. The Siemens will menas more expensive train travel because with fixed consists, VIA's renadom price generator will jack up prices as the 5 cars fill up and VIA can't add more cars during busy periords so average ticket price will be higher. Though with VIA hostile baggage policies, perhaps will turn away enough passengers to keep ticket prices lower.
I’ve been on the Turbo many times. Was a great time. And those engineers regularly went over the speed limit. Was great riding on the upper deck behind the crew looking forward down the tracks.
Only been about 60 years and I he government no matter which one is in power still keeps promising high speed rail between Winsor and Montreal and Ottawa they can't get it right freight trains still rule the rails heck there now talking about using the rail line that CP is using between Toronto and Peterborough to get to Ottawa it's been there for years but not one government that's ever been in power has had the balls to do any thing it's all lip service from all of them
I took the train from Montreal to Ottawa recently. We were a half an hour or more late boarding in Montreal and faced another delay on the way and so ended up arriving in Ottawa an hour and a half late. The coffee onboard was terrible, but the trip was otherwise great. The transfer at the Ottawa Station to the O train was the best part. The stations are right next to each other. There’s no reason to take an Uber or taxi. We were downtown in minutes. I’ll do it again, but next time will bring my own coffee and snacks. I’ve taken the bus to Ottawa once and travelled there by car many times. Rail is so much more pleasant than driving and a bit more enjoyable than by bus. Why aren’t our governments investing in dedicated tracks and high speed rail?
1:30 the most convenient and reliable way downtown is actually just to take the O-Train Line 1. 1:36 That is not a long distance train. There are no long distance trains from Ottawa.
O-train Line 1 isn't "reliable", but very convenient when it runs. It was down for most of July stopping at uOttawa so not much use from the Tremblay station.
Hi Dan, in 1979 I traveled from Edmonton Alberta to Montreal ,a two and a half day journey. Back then, coach was the basic fare but for an extra $59.00 one way there was a reclining seat called the day/nighter which was much more comfortable than the standard "coach" seat. By the way the current "Canadian" VIA's cross country train really isn't. It begins in Toronto Ontario and travels to Vancouver British Columbia. When I traveled in 1979 it went to Montreal. I believe Montreal was the starting point for all passenger trains to the Maritimes ending at Halifax Nova Scotia. Back in the day even Newfoundland had passenger rail service of its own !!! 🙂
True for the speed limit but tracks still owned by CN that are freight trains and has priority over ViaRail. CN's tracks are in bad shape in certain region and that's why ViaRails train can't go fast as they could.
Via needs dedicated lines for passenger service along its main corridors. We have got to get away from the freight lines and their priority right of way.
@@fridericusrex9812 Dear 'lol', fast in Canada. It isn't Europe. Most rails in Canada are still shared with freight sevices. So the rails are the dedicated high speed rails you get in Europe.
The Charger sets are a bit sad. You’re sitting in a very modern-looking train that crawls through the Canadian countryside as if pulled by a steam engine in 1890.
I believe there are Ottawa Transit buses which come to the train station and connect to the Bus Rapid Transit ways. I remember using them when I visited Ottawa by train in 2014.
Thanks Dan for your vlog, it was fun and great to learn of the new high speed VIA Train introduced last year. Is the price of a bottle of beer $9 the current rate everywhere? If I leave Ottawa for a quick trip by train, can I pack my own lunch? Thanks again Dan.
Where were you going after the train? Looked like you were at Square Victoria with your luggage yet the same line was right across the street from the train station. I've always wanted to take the train, but I always end up driving.
@@polishtheday With stops, lower urban speed limits, lower curve speeds, etc. the train vs. highway travel on the Windsor-QC corridor travel times are the exact same. Where I live, it's 5 hours FASTER to take a bus than it is a train from Vancouver to Kamloops.
@@hilldoggydogg635There are good reasons for slowing down through the mountains, but the section from Vancouver to Abbotsford is painfully slow. Via probably shares the track with freight there and freight gets priority. While that’s not right, at least the view while the train crawls to Kamloops is better than that of the farmland and small towns of Ontario. I enjoyed the trip more than any drive over the Coquihalla which, in winter can be more dangerous.
Little bit over 2 hours? and this is the fastest train? The same distance takes 2 hours with the Poparide car sharing system, and it costs $20. Viarail costs $42 minimum, and it may cost all the way to $90+ based on how early you buy it. Even in the best case, carsharing is half the price of a train ticket, and a little bit faster. This is really sad.
Could have had high speed sevice by now but no matter who's in government it's all lip service heck there now talking about using the CP line from Toronto up t Peterborough and Madoc and Ottawa to take pressures of the 401 corridor that lines been there for years but no one in any government has the balls to do anything heck they could even put a few of those Toronto to Montreal on the north side of the 401 and use the CP tracks to relieve relieve so pressure but freight trains are the rule in Canada not passenger trains now there talking about putting a 10 million dollar bridge over the 401in Oshawa for the GO train to connect to Bowmanville when they could have just run parallel on the CN tracks to Bowmanville and maybe continued down to Pt Hope and Cobourg in the future
This is the fastest train in Canada???? You don't travel much. . . This train is a joke! Try ICE in Germany or any highspeed trains in Europe. . . Avearge speed is 300 kms and hour. . . That is a fast train. And in Japan, the fastest!
In Ottawa the O-Train LRT now goes from the train station to downtown. Short and smooth ride.
Mhm, and anyone from other parts of Ontario can use their presto card to pay which is so nice
Yeah, don't know why people keep saying it's difficult to get to downtown from the VIA rail station. Just step out of the station and look to your left and there is the LRT.
When I visited Ottawa, I didn't rent a car or use a single Uber or taxi.
That’s when it’s not on the fritz…
If/when the O-Train is working...
To walk to the Trainyards mall - that should be under 10 minutes if there was a bridge over the tracks from the station - instead is at least 25 minutes and along some very inhospitable roads. And you can really only get to the station by car or transit - not somewhere to walk up to.
When originally built most of trains at Central station were outdoors like in Ottawa. But as CN built parking lot and head office and then The Queen Elizabeth Hotel and Place Bonaventure, only the transcontinental trains would have their southernmost cars outdoors. Some of the eastern platforms (higher numbered) go under Place Ville Marie so those too used to be outdoors north of René Lévesque prior to Place Ville Marie being built.
After 1989 cuts, no train was ever long enough to extent south of Place Bonaventure.
Thanks Dan!! Your videos are lovely!! I mean it. What a treat.
Thank you Christine! That was very nice of you. 🙏
@@thoughtsontravelandlife You are so welcome!! 🙂
The Siemens sets are actually the slowest Via trains at the moment because they have not yet been certified for the higher speed limits that other types use. Until that happens they are limited to the default "Passenger" speed limit.
LRC and HEP coaches use a higher "Passenger+" speed limit and Renaissance coaches use the highest "LRC" speed limit.
the Turbo Train still has the speed record for North America at 273kmh. It ran from late 1960s to early 1980s. It was able to do Montréal-Toronto in 3 hours 59 minutes but over time was slowed down to the same speed as the conventional trains, and while the LRC was also capapble of higher speeds was track limited to same speeds as conventional and Turbo (during 1981, the 2 ran at same time). As I recall the LRC promised 225kmh but was never allowed that in service and at time it was introduced, the Turbo had already been slowed down to normal speeds too.
The siemens are not high speed as their top speed is 200kmh. The 1950s signalling in use in canada does not allow higher than 200 because the driver wouldn't see the colour of light in time to take action. Max speed is technically 152kmh where tracks permit. There is a strech between oiutside of Ottawa , through Caselman and Moose Creek where the VIA trains maintain that speed (though if you stop at Caselman, you lose that one stretch). There is another short stretch where train is allowed higher than 130 on the Alexandria sub, and then you have to wait till you reach Kingston sub where you can reach up to 150 to Dorval. Cheating to 160 can be seen from time to time.
Ottawa has not seen long distance trains since end of 1989 when the last trans continental ran. The tracks between Ottawa and Sudbury no lonegr exist.
Of the stainless steel train you saw, the ones with smaller windows are from Amtrak Heritage that can date back to 1945 and were rebuilt by VIA in the mid 1990s after having scrapped all the ex CN cars at the big 1989 cuts and realized it lacked capacity on the Corridor. The ones with longer windows are generally the ex CP transcontinental coaches built 1955.
The only trains Ottawa sees now are to Toronto and Montréal (and VIA now makes some of those trains continued to Québec).
When you consider that CDPQ nearly halved the number of train tracks potentially available at Central Station, the station is not much bigger than Ottawa's in terms of number of tracks.. Ottawa's station was built to kill train travel. The station used to be downtown next to Rideau Canala where the Senate now is. 1 track continued north under Wellington to get on the Alexandra bridge to Hull. The Canadian would arrive at Ottaw Union with locomotive facing north, thenc ross to Hull, turn left/west and cross back to Ontario on the Prince of Wlaes bridge (now a bike path) to rejoin the trans continental tracks to Sudbury. This way it did not have to back off Ottawa station to where the 417 is now and then resume travel west.
Moving the train station out of the way (at the time, truly in middle of nowhere) allowed the redeveloipment of the rideau canal from very igly industrial railway yards into nice green linear park. But until the transitway was built, the station was far away and inaccessible. Ottawa has grown since and this is now part of populated area and they replaced the reliable transitway with the LRT amusement ride that sometimes works.
The Siemens will menas more expensive train travel because with fixed consists, VIA's renadom price generator will jack up prices as the 5 cars fill up and VIA can't add more cars during busy periords so average ticket price will be higher. Though with VIA hostile baggage policies, perhaps will turn away enough passengers to keep ticket prices lower.
I’ve been on the Turbo many times. Was a great time. And those engineers regularly went over the speed limit. Was great riding on the upper deck behind the crew looking forward down the tracks.
Only been about 60 years and I he government no matter which one is in power still keeps promising high speed rail between Winsor and Montreal and Ottawa they can't get it right freight trains still rule the rails heck there now talking about using the rail line that CP is using between Toronto and Peterborough to get to Ottawa it's been there for years but not one government that's ever been in power has had the balls to do any thing it's all lip service from all of them
I took the train from Montreal to Ottawa recently. We were a half an hour or more late boarding in Montreal and faced another delay on the way and so ended up arriving in Ottawa an hour and a half late. The coffee onboard was terrible, but the trip was otherwise great.
The transfer at the Ottawa Station to the O train was the best part. The stations are right next to each other. There’s no reason to take an Uber or taxi. We were downtown in minutes.
I’ll do it again, but next time will bring my own coffee and snacks.
I’ve taken the bus to Ottawa once and travelled there by car many times. Rail is so much more pleasant than driving and a bit more enjoyable than by bus. Why aren’t our governments investing in dedicated tracks and high speed rail?
Dan your videos are bliss!! I look forward to them so much!! I mean it!! You are very talented and your style is lovely!! Be well!!
True and let me add that your comments are well crafted and blissfully kind, Christine!
@@khunopie9159 Thank you so much!! I am so touched!! You are very kind!! 🙂
1:30 the most convenient and reliable way downtown is actually just to take the O-Train Line 1.
1:36 That is not a long distance train. There are no long distance trains from Ottawa.
O-train Line 1 isn't "reliable", but very convenient when it runs. It was down for most of July stopping at uOttawa so not much use from the Tremblay station.
Hi Dan, in 1979 I traveled from Edmonton Alberta to Montreal ,a two and a half day journey. Back then, coach was the basic fare but for an extra $59.00 one way there was a reclining seat called the day/nighter which was much more comfortable than the standard "coach" seat. By the way the current "Canadian" VIA's cross country train really isn't. It begins in Toronto Ontario and travels to Vancouver British Columbia. When I traveled in 1979 it went to Montreal. I believe Montreal was the starting point for all passenger trains to the Maritimes ending at Halifax Nova Scotia. Back in the day even Newfoundland had passenger rail service of its own !!! 🙂
The train you saw on the other platform is the train to Toronto. The long distance train leaves from Toronto westbound or Montreal eastbound
I believe the top legal speed is 160KM/hr right now, Via owns most of the tracks from Ottawa to Montreal as well ie. Alexandria Subdivision
True for the speed limit but tracks still owned by CN that are freight trains and has priority over ViaRail. CN's tracks are in bad shape in certain region and that's why ViaRails train can't go fast as they could.
beautiful.
Love the vids Dan!
Via needs dedicated lines for passenger service along its main corridors. We have got to get away from the freight lines and their priority right of way.
In 2018 the old trains hit about 160 on a stretch between Kingston and Smiths Falls, iirc. I was surprised.
is that supposed to be fast for a train lol
@@fridericusrex9812 Dear 'lol', fast in Canada. It isn't Europe. Most rails in Canada are still shared with freight sevices. So the rails are the dedicated high speed rails you get in Europe.
The Charger sets are a bit sad. You’re sitting in a very modern-looking train that crawls through the Canadian countryside as if pulled by a steam engine in 1890.
I believe there are Ottawa Transit buses which come to the train station and connect to the Bus Rapid Transit ways. I remember using them when I visited Ottawa by train in 2014.
The OTrain light rail now serves the station instead of buses
@@Quince828 even better!
Thanks Dan for your vlog, it was fun and great to learn of the new high speed VIA Train introduced last year. Is the price of a bottle of beer $9 the current rate everywhere? If I leave Ottawa for a quick trip by train, can I pack my own lunch? Thanks again Dan.
Yes you can pack a lunch
Where were you going after the train? Looked like you were at Square Victoria with your luggage yet the same line was right across the street from the train station. I've always wanted to take the train, but I always end up driving.
3:22 Jesse Welles hell yeah
Oh dang can't believe someone in the comments recognized him! Ahaha. Just found Jesse through the CZcams algorithm last week. Great stuff
Cool Siemens trains, they go up to 200kph but it sucks that the rails do not, is like having a 5g phone and a 4g network lol
Haha good comparison!
Maximum speed in Canada is 95 M.P.H., it used to be 100MPH/160KM but for some reason they put it down to 95.
That’s still better than the speed on highways.
@@polishtheday With stops, lower urban speed limits, lower curve speeds, etc. the train vs. highway travel on the Windsor-QC corridor travel times are the exact same. Where I live, it's 5 hours FASTER to take a bus than it is a train from Vancouver to Kamloops.
@@hilldoggydogg635There are good reasons for slowing down through the mountains, but the section from Vancouver to Abbotsford is painfully slow. Via probably shares the track with freight there and freight gets priority. While that’s not right, at least the view while the train crawls to Kamloops is better than that of the farmland and small towns of Ontario. I enjoyed the trip more than any drive over the Coquihalla which, in winter can be more dangerous.
Hi Dan, how are you doing
Little bit over 2 hours? and this is the fastest train? The same distance takes 2 hours with the Poparide car sharing system, and it costs $20. Viarail costs $42 minimum, and it may cost all the way to $90+ based on how early you buy it. Even in the best case, carsharing is half the price of a train ticket, and a little bit faster. This is really sad.
VIa doesn't own most of the tracks. The rails are used for cargo too. HSR is NOT coming to Canada for at least 50 years!!!!!!!!!
Could have had high speed sevice by now but no matter who's in government it's all lip service heck there now talking about using the CP line from Toronto up t Peterborough and Madoc and Ottawa to take pressures of the 401 corridor that lines been there for years but no one in any government has the balls to do anything heck they could even put a few of those Toronto to Montreal on the north side of the 401 and use the CP tracks to relieve relieve so pressure but freight trains are the rule in Canada not passenger trains now there talking about putting a 10 million dollar bridge over the 401in Oshawa for the GO train to connect to Bowmanville when they could have just run parallel on the CN tracks to Bowmanville and maybe continued down to Pt Hope and Cobourg in the future
Yeah sure....fastest train in Canada....in a country that doesn't have high speed rail....
That's right, no other train besides regional lines (O or GO etc.)
This is the fastest train in Canada???? You don't travel much. . . This train is a joke! Try ICE in Germany or any highspeed trains in Europe. . . Avearge speed is 300 kms and hour. . . That is a fast train. And in Japan, the fastest!
None of the trains you mentioned are in Canada. Not even sure what you're trying to say.
Isn't Ottawa the home to Fidel C's son?
No
@@N1120A Yes actually. his name is Dustin or Justin, I forget
His official residence, yes.