VIA Rail
Canada's railway system is vast and well-established, and an
integral part of this network is VIA Rail Canada. Established in
1977, VIA Rail was founded as a solution to Prime Minister Pierre
Elliott Trudeau's call for rail service between cities to become
essential. There were few options for passenger train travel before
this, as much of the track in Canada was dedicated to freight
service. VIA Rail became the first national passenger service in
Canada at the time; it has now served passengers for more than 40
years.
VIA Rail took over track from the Canadian Pacific and Canadian
National Railways to create its first long-distance cross-country
passenger route from Vancouver to Montreal for its flagship route.
It named the train that ran the course the Canadian as a nod to its
predecessors. This occurred in 1978, just one year after the line's
founding. Since then, VIA Rail has expanded to reach over 400
cities and towns throughout Canada, including major destinations -
such as Jasper, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, and Quebec City - and
more elusive locales, including Churchill. There is a total of over
7,765 miles of track within the VIA Rail network.
Passengers can capture the changes in the vast Canadian landscape
from the large picture windows that line the train cars. Most
trains are equipped with power outlets, and some journeys even
feature Wi-Fi Internet access. Guests are comfortable during travel
in any season, thanks to full air conditioning and heating on all
rail lines.
