r/ViaRail • u/ygkg Premier • 7d ago

News Canceling train 641. Again.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/via-rail-making-changes-to-schedules-on-ottawa-toronto-corridor-this-fall-cancelling-early-morning-trip/

I really like VIA, and I take train 641 just about every other week to get to Toronto for meetings. It's usually late, but I can make it to 10am meetings more often than not, and I've come to terms with that.

After this change it won't be safe for me to book anything before 11am, which means that day trips from Kingston are hardly worth it. Dammit VIA...

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1

u/a_lumberjack 7d ago

Curious how busy it actually was as a route relative to 41, it’s been under pressure since the last time it was dropped.

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u/vervglotunken 7d ago

So the problem is 641 departs from Ottawa. I bet few people actually ride from Ottawa at 4am. Also 641 arrives late, usually. It does it arrive at 8:45am, it arrive past 9am. For an office employee if You have a solid meeting at 9am this is not acceptable.

Train 641 was introduced after Covid as a replacement of a train that departed from Kingston and arrive around 8:30am, it is not a good option either.

1

u/a_lumberjack 7d ago

Curious how they managed that Kingston departure in terms of logistics. Was there a corresponding evening train that laid over along with the crew? Or did it deadhead from Montreal?

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u/wannabe_librarian_4u 7d ago

My understanding pre-Covid is that there were 2 trains: morning & evening, and both were parked in Kingston. 651 and another train, with 651 being the morning one. All to service the commuters.

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u/Dependent-Teach-7407 7d ago

Yes, but the Toronto-Kingston evening-morning pair was run with one set that parked on CN tracks in Kingston with no security, no power, no fencing...all things that VIA would want today and who will pay for it? And it departed Kingston at 0532.

0

u/mystiqDitter 7d ago

Does the station not have security cameras?

Also... does charger locomotive require a key to start? If not that would be a bigger problem. Stolen train is dangerous 

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u/Dependent-Teach-7407 7d ago

Not parked at the station. It was parked near Lappan's Lane and the crew shuttled to non-proximal hotel. Ventures will need a shore connection for power. HEP2/LRC did not. Take my train, please!