Corridor (VIA)
Encyclopedia
The Corridor is a Via Rail
passenger train service area in the Canadian
provinces of Quebec
and Ontario
.
Corridor is used by Via to refer to all Via inter-city passenger trains which start and end within the geographic region known as the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor
. Other inter-city trains from outside the Corridor may have their terminus at stations in the Corridor, such as the Canadian
and the Ocean
, but are marketed by their respective train names and are not considered to be Corridor service.
The Corridor service area has the heaviest passenger train frequency in Canada, with 36 Via trains traversing the route daily. About 67% of Via's revenue comes from Corridor routes.
Via runs a mix of local-service and express trains in the Corridor. The majority of the trackage is owned by CN, although Via also operates Corridor services on two former freight lines that it owns which originate in Ottawa and run to Smiths Falls
, Ontario
and Coteau-du-Lac
, Quebec
and one between Chatham, Ontario
and Tecumseh, Ontario
. It also runs on Canadian Pacific rails between Smiths Falls and Brockville, Ontario
. .
Prior to Via's formation in 1978, CN Rail operated trains on the same tracks and CP Rail also offered limited service.
All trains are identified by number; however, in previous schedules these trains were named as well.
as a means of reducing domestic air and highway travel between these destinations.
After a hiatus of ten years, a feasibility study on launching a high-speed rail service in the Corridor will be updated at the joint cost of the federal government, Ontario and Quebec. On November 14, 2011, the three governments have officially released the final report of a high-speed rail study for this corridor.
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
passenger train service area in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
provinces of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Corridor is used by Via to refer to all Via inter-city passenger trains which start and end within the geographic region known as the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor
Quebec City-Windsor Corridor
Quebec City – Windsor Corridor is the most densely-populated and heavily-industrialized region of Canada. As its name suggests, it extends from Quebec City in the east to Windsor, Ontario in the west, spanning . With more than 18 million people, it contained 51% of the country's population and...
. Other inter-city trains from outside the Corridor may have their terminus at stations in the Corridor, such as the Canadian
The Canadian
The Canadian is a Canadian transcontinental passenger train originally operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1955 and 1978. It is currently operated as an Inter-city rail service by Via Rail Canada with service between Union Station in Toronto, Ontario and Pacific Central Station in...
and the Ocean
Ocean (passenger train)
The Ocean is a Canadian passenger train operated by Via Rail between Montreal, Quebec and Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is currently the oldest continuously-operated named passenger train in North America. The Oceans schedule takes approximately 21 hours, running overnight in both directions...
, but are marketed by their respective train names and are not considered to be Corridor service.
The Corridor service area has the heaviest passenger train frequency in Canada, with 36 Via trains traversing the route daily. About 67% of Via's revenue comes from Corridor routes.
Via runs a mix of local-service and express trains in the Corridor. The majority of the trackage is owned by CN, although Via also operates Corridor services on two former freight lines that it owns which originate in Ottawa and run to Smiths Falls
Smiths Falls, Ontario
Smiths Falls is a town in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It is in the census division for Lanark County, but is considered a separated town and does not participate in county government...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Coteau-du-Lac
Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec
Coteau-du-Lac is a small town in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and one between Chatham, Ontario
Chatham, Ontario
Chatham is the largest community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Formerly serving as the seat of Kent County, the governments of the former city of Chatham, the county of Kent, and its townships were merged into one entity known as the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 1998.Located on...
and Tecumseh, Ontario
Tecumseh, Ontario
Tecumseh is a town on Lake St. Clair east of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It has a population of just over 24,000.Tecumseh enjoys long summers and mild winters...
. It also runs on Canadian Pacific rails between Smiths Falls and Brockville, Ontario
Brockville, Ontario
Brockville is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the Thousand Islands region. Though it serves as the seat of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, Brockville is politically independent and is grouped with Leeds and Grenville for census purposes only.Known as the "City of the 1000...
. .
Prior to Via's formation in 1978, CN Rail operated trains on the same tracks and CP Rail also offered limited service.
All trains are identified by number; however, in previous schedules these trains were named as well.
High speed proposal
During the 1970s and early 1980s, CN and later Via Rail operated the Turbo Train on existing freight rail trackage. This equipment was later replaced by the Bombardier LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) train sets. Beginning in the 1980s and through the 1990s, Via Rail, Bombardier and the provincial and federal governments studied the feasibility of establishing a dedicated high speed passenger rail network linking Quebec City-Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto-Windsor similar to the French TGVTGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
as a means of reducing domestic air and highway travel between these destinations.
After a hiatus of ten years, a feasibility study on launching a high-speed rail service in the Corridor will be updated at the joint cost of the federal government, Ontario and Quebec. On November 14, 2011, the three governments have officially released the final report of a high-speed rail study for this corridor.
Improvements to corridor
Beginning during the summer of 2009, and planned to continue through the summer of 2010, Via is using C$300 million of government stimulus money to upgrade segments of the Corridor. Notable track improvements are planned to include an additional 44 miles of third main track in four segments, and a short segment of fourth main track, as well as additional yard tracks at three locations. Improvements will also be made to several stations along the line, with new station buildings being constructed at Belleville and Cobourg, and an additional platform being added to existing stations at Brockville and Oshawa. The improvements are planned to both reduce delays along the route and allow for a reduction in travel time of up to 30 minutes from end to end. They will also allow for Via to introduce two new round-trip trains from Toronto to both Montreal and Ottawa without requiring the acquisition of new equipment.Primary inter-city Corridor routes
- Montreal-Ottawa (6 per weekday, 4 Saturday/Sunday)
- Montreal-Quebec City (5 per weekday, 3 Saturday/Sunday)
- Toronto-Montreal via Kingston (6 per weekday, 4 per Saturday, 5 per Sunday)
- Toronto-Niagara Falls (2 times daily)
- Toronto-Ottawa via Kingston (5 per weekday, 3 per Saturday, 4 per Sunday)
- Toronto-Sarnia via London (2 times daily)
- Toronto-Windsor via London(4 times daily)
Commuter rail
Two commuter rail agencies, provincially-funded and independent of Via, offer services focused on Toronto and Montreal using some of the same railway tracks as Via's Corridor Trains- GO TransitGO TransitGO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
operates its Lakeshore West, Lakeshore East, and Georgetown lines on the same tracks as Via Corridor trains. The Lakeshore line connects Hamilton GO Centre in the west to Oshawa GO Station in the east, via Toronto's Union StationUnion Station (Toronto)Union Station is the major inter-city rail station and a major commuter rail hub in Toronto, located on Front Street West and occupying the south side of the block bounded by Bay Street and York Street in the central business district. The station building is owned by the City of Toronto, while the...
. Tracks are shared from Bayview JunctionBayview JunctionBayview Junction is a major railway junction in southern Ontario Canada. It is located at the intersection of three of the nation's busiest rail lines and is a popular location for railfanning....
(located west of Aldershot station) through Oakville, Toronto and Guildwood as far east as Durham Junction, where GO trains switch to a separate parallel line immediately north of the CN/Via tracks. The Georgetown line connects Georgetown to Toronto's Union Station, and shares tracks with Via for its entire length.
- Agence métropolitaine de transportAgence métropolitaine de transportThe Agence métropolitaine de transport is the umbrella organization that plans, integrates, and coordinates public transportation services across Canada's Greater Montreal Region, including the Island of Montreal, Laval , and communities along both the North Shore of the Rivière des Mille-Îles...
operates its Vaudreuil-Hudson and Mont-St-Hilaire lines, reaching out to HudsonHudson (AMT)Hudson is a commuter rail station on the AMT Vaudreuil–Hudson Line in Hudson, Quebec, Canada. It is served by only one round trip train per day....
in the west and Mont-St-HilaireMont-Saint-Hilaire (AMT)Mont-Saint-Hilaire Station is a railway station located in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada. It is served by commuter trains from the Agence métropolitaine de transport. It is the final stop on the Mont-Saint-Hilaire Line. It is also the eastern terminal of the AMT.-External links:*...
in the east, respectively. A single physical right-of-way stretching from Dorion to LachineLachine, QuebecLachine was a city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is now a borough within the city of Montreal.-History:...
contains parallel sets of CN and CP tracks; Via Corridor trains operate on the former while AMT Dorion–Rigaud trains operate on the latter. Tracks are actually shared with AMT trains from Central Station east to Mont-Saint-Hilaire.
See also
- Northeast CorridorNortheast CorridorThe Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
- Quebec City-Windsor CorridorQuebec City-Windsor CorridorQuebec City – Windsor Corridor is the most densely-populated and heavily-industrialized region of Canada. As its name suggests, it extends from Quebec City in the east to Windsor, Ontario in the west, spanning . With more than 18 million people, it contained 51% of the country's population and...
- Maple Leaf (Amtrak)
- High-speed rail in CanadaHigh-speed rail in CanadaCanada is the only G8 country that does not have high-speed rail. In the press and popular discussion, there have been two routes frequently proposed as suitable for a high-speed rail corridor:* Edmonton to Calgary via Red Deer...