List of Via Rail routes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A route map of Via Rail frequencies from 2013.

Via Rail operates 497 trains per week over nineteen routes. Via groups these routes into three broad categories:[1]

  • "Rapid Intercity Travel": daytime services over the Corridor between Ontario and Quebec. The vast majority of Via's trains–429 per week–operate here.
  • "Long-distance travel and tourism": the famous Canadian and Ocean, providing traditional transcontinental service.
  • "Mandatory Services": rural services mandated by the Canadian Government for areas which otherwise lack reasonable year-round transportation.


Current routes[]

Name Route Route numbers Notes
Canadian Toronto – Vancouver Westbound: 1
Eastbound: 2
Ocean Montreal – Halifax Westbound: 14
Eastbound: 15
Québec City–Windsor Corridor Toronto – Kingston – Montreal Westbound: 51, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 651, 655, 669
Eastbound: 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 650, 668
Fallowfield – Ottawa – Montreal Westbound: 22, 24, 26, 28, 34, 38, 624
Eastbound: 33, 35, 37, 39, 51, 633, 635, 637, 639
Ottawa – Montreal – Québec City Westbound: 15, 25, 29, 33, 35, 37, 39, 637
Eastbound: 14, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 622, 624
Toronto – Kingston – Ottawa Westbound: 41, 43, 45, 47, 51, 53, 55, 59, 641, 643, 645, 647
Eastbound: 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 644, 646
Toronto – Niagara Falls – New York
(Maple Leaf) 		Southbound: 97
Northbound: 98 		Operated by Amtrak while in the US
Sarnia – London – Toronto Westbound: 85, 87
Eastbound: 84, 88
Windsor – London – Toronto Westbound: 71, 73, 75, 79, 81, 83
Eastbound: 70, 72, 76, 78, 80, 82
Jasper–Prince Rupert Jasper – Prince Rupert Westbound: 5
Eastbound: 6 		Formerly the Skeena and Panorama
Montreal–Jonquière Montreal – Jonquière Southbound: 600, 602
Northbound: 601 		Formerly the Saguenay
Montreal–Senneterre Montreal – Senneterre Southbound: 604, 606
Northbound: 603 		Formerly the Abitibi
Sudbury–White River Sudbury – White River Westbound: 186
Eastbound: 185 		Formerly the Lake Superior
Winnipeg–Churchill Winnipeg – Churchill Southbound: 690, 692, 694
Northbound: 691, 693, 695 		Formerly the Hudson Bay and Northern Spirits
The Pas–Pukatawagan The Pas – Pukatawagan Southbound: 290
Northbound: 291 		Operated by the Keewatin Railway

Full listing[]

Intercity routes[]

  Transferred from Canadian National Railway (CN)   Transferred from Canadian Pacific Railway (then known as CP Rail)   Active route

Name(s) Route First service Last service Notes
Atlantic Limited Montreal – Sherbrooke – Saint John October 29, 1978 June 16, 1979 Renamed as Atlantic
Atlantic June 17, 1979 October 27, 1979 Extended to Halifax
Montreal – Sherbrooke – Saint John – Moncton – Halifax October 28, 1979 November 14, 1981
June 1, 1985 December 16, 1994
Bras d'Or Halifax – Sydney 2000 2004 Weekly summer tourist train
Calgary–South Edmonton Calgary – Edmonton October 29, 1978 October 26, 1985
Campbellton–Moncton Campbellton – Moncton October 28, 1979 January 14, 1990
Capreol–Winnipeg Capreol – Hornepayne – Nakina April 1, 1978 September 28, 1980
Sioux Lookout – Winnipeg April 1, 1978 September 28, 1980 Extended to Armstrong
Armstrong – Sioux Lookout – Winnipeg September 29, 1980 November 14, 1981
Capreol – Hornepayne – Nakina – Armstrong – Sioux Lookout – Winnipeg October 28, 1979 May 31, 1981 Briefly rolled into the Super Continental during 1981
November 15, 1981 January 14, 1990 Subsumed by the Canadian
Capreol – Hornepayne June 1, 1981 November 14, 1981
Farlane – Winnipeg Seasonal train
Chambord–Dolbeau Chambord – Dolbeau April 1, 1978 June 16, 1979
Chaleur Montreal – Gaspé April 1, 1978 April 30, 2009 Name dropped
Montreal–Gaspé May 1, 2009 August 2013
Edmonton – Drumheller April 1, 1978 November 14, 1981 Now partially served by Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions
Edmundston–Sainte-Foy Edmundston – Sainte-Foy April 1, 1978 October 27, 1979
Enterprise Toronto – Montreal January 16, 2000 October 29, 2005 Night train
Evangeline Halifax – Yarmouth October 29, 1978 January 14, 1990
Flin Flon–Osborne Lake Flin Flon – April 1, 1978 October 27, 1979
Halifax–Fredericton Moncton – Saint John April 1, 1978 October 27, 1979 Extended to Halifax
Halifax – Moncton – Saint John October 28, 1979 November 14, 1981 Extended to Fredericton
June 1, 1985 January 14, 1990
Halifax – Moncton – Saint John – Fredericton November 15, 1981 May 31, 1985 Truncated back to Saint John
Halifax–Sydney Halifax – Sydney April 1, 1978 January 14, 1990
Havelock–Toronto Havelock – Peterborough – Toronto October 29, 1978 January 14, 1990
Hearst–Nakina Hearst – Nakina April 1, 1978 May 31, 1986
Hornepayne–Manitouwadge Hornepayne – Manitouwadge April 1, 1978 April 26, 1980
International Limited Toronto – Chicago October 31, 1982 June 12, 1983 Operated by Amtrak in the US. Renamed as International
International June 13, 1983 April 23, 2004 Operated by Amtrak in the US
Jasper–Prince Rupert Jasper – Prince Rupert April 1, 1978 June 16, 1979 Named as Skeena
May 1, 2009 Present
Skeena June 17, 1979 November 14, 1981 Extended to Edmonton
April 30, 1989 April 30, 2009 Name dropped
Edmonton – Jasper – Prince Rupert November 15, 1981 June 2, 1984 Extended to Winnipeg and renamed as Panorama
June 1, 1985 April 29, 1989 Truncated back to Jasper
Panorama Winnipeg – Saskatoon – Edmonton – Jasper – Prince Rupert June 3, 1984 May 31, 1985 Reverted back to Skeena name and route
Limoilou–Rivière-à-Pierre Limoilou, Quebec City – Rivière-à-Pierre April 1, 1978 June 16, 1979 Replaced by Sainte-Foy–Rivière-à-Pierre train
Sainte-Foy–Rivière-à-Pierre Sainte-Foy – Rivière-à-Pierre October 28, 1979 February 2, 1980
Toronto–Niagara Falls Toronto – Niagara Falls April 1, 1978 January 18, 1992 Renamed as General Brock
November 23, 1997 December 9, 2012 Service continued by the Maple Leaf and Lakeshore West line
General Brock January 19, 1992 November 22, 1997 Name dropped
Toronto–North Bay Toronto – North Bay April 1, 1978 January 14, 1990
Maple Leaf Toronto – Niagara Falls – New York April 26, 1981 Present Operated by Amtrak in the US
Moncton–Edmundston Moncton – Edmundston April 1, 1978 November 14, 1981
October 28, 1984 January 14, 1990
Montreal–Chicoutimi Montreal – Hervey – Rivière-à-Pierre – Chambord – Jonquière – Chicoutimi April 1, 1978 April 30, 1988
Saguenay Montreal – Hervey – Rivière-à-Pierre – Chambord – Jonquière April 25, 1993 April 30, 2009 Name dropped
Montreal–Jonquière May 1, 1988 April 24, 1993 Named as Saguenay
May 1, 2009 Present
Sainte-Foy–Cochrane Sainte-Foy – Senneterre – Cochrane April 1, 1978
Abitibi Montreal – Hervey – Senneterre April 25, 1993 April 30, 2009 Name dropped
Montreal–Senneterre May 1, 2009 Present
Montreal–Sherbrooke Montreal – Sherbrooke April 1, 1978 October 30, 1982
Ocean Montreal – Halifax April 1, 1978 Present
Ottawa–Sudbury Ottawa – Sudbury November 15, 1981 May 31, 1985 Replaced a section of the Canadian when it was rerouted through Toronto following the first cancellation of the Super Continental
Saint-Laurent Montreal – Mont-Joli October 28, 1979 May 28, 1983
Quebec City – Mont-Joli June 1, 1985 January 14, 1990
Regina–Prince Albert Regina – Saskatoon – Prince Albert April 1, 1978 November 14, 1981
Winnipeg–Saskatoon Winnipeg – Regina – Saskatoon November 15, 1981 June 2, 1984 Replaced a section of the cancelled Super Continental. Subsumed by the Panorama
Saskatoon–Edmonton Saskatoon – Edmonton November 15, 1981 June 2, 1984
Saskatoon–The Pas Saskatoon – The Pas April 1, 1978 April 26, 1980
Scotian Montreal – Campbellton – Halifax April 1, 1978 October 27, 1979 Same route as the Ocean but with more stops
Senneterre–Rouyn-Noranda Senneterre – Rouyn-Noranda April 1, 1978 June 16, 1979
Lake Superior Sudbury – White River April 28, 1996 April 30, 2009 Name dropped
Sudbury–White River October 29, 1978 April 27, 1996 Named as Lake Superior
May 1, 2009 Present
Canadian Toronto – Sudbury – White River – Winnipeg – Regina – Calgary – Vancouver October 29, 1978 June 16, 1979 Exchanged sleeper cars with the Super Continental at Winnipeg
Montreal – Ottawa – Sudbury – White River – Winnipeg – Regina – Calgary – Vancouver June 17, 1979 October 27, 1979
Montreal – Toronto – Sudbury – White River – Winnipeg – Regina – Calgary – Vancouver November 15, 1981 May 31, 1985
Montreal – Ottawa – Sudbury – / Toronto – Sudbury – White River – Winnipeg – Regina – Calgary – Vancouver June 1, 1985 January 14, 1990 Montreal and Toronto sections, divided at Sudbury
Toronto – Sudbury – Sioux Lookout – Winnipeg – Saskatoon – Edmonton – Jasper – Vancouver January 15, 1990 Present
Super Continental Montreal – Ottawa – Sioux Lookout – Winnipeg – Saskatoon – Edmonton – Jasper – Vancouver April 1, 1978 June 16, 1979 Exchanged sleeper cars with the Canadian at Winnipeg
Toronto – Sioux Lookout – Winnipeg – Saskatoon – Edmonton – Jasper – Vancouver June 17, 1979 October 27, 1979
June 1, 1981 November 14, 1981 Exchanged sleeper cars with the Canadian at Winnipeg. Discontinued for the first time
Toronto – Sudbury – White River – Winnipeg – Saskatoon – Edmonton – Jasper – Vancouver October 28, 1979 May 31, 1981 Combined with the Canadian between Sudbury and Winnipeg. Exchanged sleeper cars with the Canadian at Winnipeg
Winnipeg – Vancouver June 1, 1985 January 14, 1990 Discontinued for the second and final time
The Pas–Lynn Lake The Pas – Pukatawagan – Lynn Lake April 1, 1978 May 22, 2004 Truncated to Pukatawagan
The Pas–Pukatawagan The Pas – Pukatawagan May 23, 2004 Present Runs over the Keewatin Railway
Thunder Bay–Sioux Lookout Thunder Bay – Sioux Lookout April 1, 1978 May 31, 1986
Toronto–Barrie Toronto – Barrie April 1, 1978 September 3, 1982 Replaced by the Bradford line (now the Barrie line)
Toronto–Stouffville Toronto – Stouffville April 1, 1978 September 3, 1982 Replaced by the Stouffville line
Malahat Victoria – Courtenay October 29, 1978 April 30, 2009 Name dropped
Victoria–Courtenay May 1, 2009 March 19, 2011
Winnipeg–Churchill, Hudson Bay, Northern Spirits Winnipeg – The Pas – Churchill April 1, 1978 Present

Commuter routes[]

VIA operated some grandfathered commuter passenger routes from CN and CP from 1977 until financial constraints led to cuts in 1981. A few became provincial commuter rail lines after transfer from Canadian National Railways or Canadian Pacific Railways.

Route Original Operator Notes
CN Uxbridge Subdivision (Stouffville line) CN Toronto to Stouffville service by CN from 1971 to 1977, VIA until 1981 and was restored by GO Transit in 1982
Guelph Subdivision(Toronto -Stratford/Georgetown) CN Never transferred to VIA in 1977 but became GO Georgetown line in 1974. Extended to Guelph 1990 to 1993 (cut back to Georgetown by provincial cuts) and extended to Kitchener (line renamed) since 2011
Barrie line CN Began by CN Toronto-Barrie from 1972 to 1977, transferred to VIA 1977 and became GO line to Bradford/Newmarket only from 1982 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 2008, extended to Barrie from 1990 to 1993 and since 2008 (now to Allendale)
CP Havelock Subdivision (Havelock/Peterborough) CP Retained as CP freight subdivision and now used by Kawartha Lakes Railway
Streetsville CP Abandoned in 1971 and partial restored as GO Milton line 1981
Lakeshore West CP Transferred from VIA to STCUM in 1982 and then to AMT in 1996. Now Exo
Deux-Montagnes line CP Transferred from VIA to STCUM in 1982 and then to AMT in 1996. Last operated by Exo. Ceased operations in 2020 and will be replaced by Réseau express métropolitain light rail line.
Saint-Jérôme line CP Transferred from CP to VIA in 1977 but abandoned 1981. Restored by AMT in 1997
Mont-Saint-Hilaire line CN Never transferred to VIA and operated by CN until 1988 and later restored by AMT in 2000

References[]

  1. ^ Via Rail. "2011 Annual Report" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-02-24.

External links[]

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