1.
Halifax-Montreal
To go to previous page click here
MONTREAL - TORONTO
WEDNESDAY 23rd JULY 1997
I caught the 10.00 Montreal to Toronto. The coaches were refurbished 41xx series Budd cars purchased from Amtrak and refurbished. The cars came from a wide variety of US railroads. The run was pleasant and punctual taking 5 hours 40 minutes.
|
|
Route map for Montreal to Toronto Corridor
Route map courtesy of VIA
West of Montreal the line passes through farming country. In places the line has a new alignment due to the building of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Some parts of the countryside become wider with bare limestone and forests. The whole line is double track and signalled for bi-directional running. In fact the train overtook several freights. There are also frequent 4 track sections with long loops and cross-overs. Once in Ontario the line parallels the CP single track main line for considerable distances. The line also runs along the shores of Lake Ontario for many miles.
|
|
The interior of Toronto Union station
On the approach to Toronto new stations have been built for the GO Transit
suburban line (Government of Ontario). Union Station in Toronto has a low
overall roof and at platform level appears largely untouched since steam days.
There are 13 tracks in this rather gloomy train shed. The access to the tracks is from
two separate
terminals. VIA's is from the magnificent early 20th century booking hall whilst
GO Transit's is from a low level concourse linked to the subway system.
I took the subway, nicknamed “The
Rocket", to the student hostel where
I was staying. My room was on the 15th floor with an excellent view across the city. The subway has two interconnecting
lines and appears clean and safe even late at night. The cars are unpainted Budd
type vehicles.
|
|
A GO Transit F59PH arrives at the West end of Toronto Union station.
I returned to Union
station to take the 17.19 GO Transit service to Hamilton,
formed of eight green and cream double deck air-conditioned cars and an FS9PH
diesel. In the large VIA depot west of the city was the 19 car rake of the next
day's "Canadian"
to Vancouver, as well as a large number of stored RDC single car
units formerly used on branch services. Most are likely to be sold to US cities
for new suburban services.
|
|
Go Transit double-deck driving-car
The line west of Union station is multiple track, with large number of double slip points, gradually reducing to 4, then 3 and eventually 2 tracks in the outer suburbs. I travelled as far as Burlington, a three platform station vvith bus station. After an hour watching trains there I returned to Toronto.
To return to top of page click here
For locomotive observation for this section click here
|
|