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My wife and I have just returned from a North American visit in which we experienced shorter rail routes for the first time. It was interesting to compare our Via experience with Amtrak. We travelled on Via train 57 from Montreal to Toronto, first class. It was not a particularly positive experience. We chose that train because it was the only one which offered the checked baggage option. Seating was 2x2, legroom was just sufficient and the table which extended from the seat arm did not make eating particularly comfortable. 50% of seats had obstructed views from the windows. There was a certain degree of confusion caused in the Panorama Lounge by the announcement of Train 37 to Dorval, Kingston and Toronto. Then another number was announced at which point passengers assumed it was a call for train 57. The welcome on board was good and we were well plied with food and drink by the two car attendants, who resembled air-cabin crew in manner and dress. The next snag was food. Via advertises its menus months in advance. The menu was shewn to the front section of the car, then to ours by which time the Turkey option was no longer available, leaving salmon and a pasta option with olives, neither of which my wife eats. The crew could not cope with this, simply produced a fixed smile and said there was nothing they could do. In the past we have observed on Amtrak how a Vegan was able to procure suitable food by quiet persistance and the Amtrak crew shewed themselves to be adaptable. My salmon was acceptable, better than airline food but not up to Amtrak standard. There were delays, presumably caused by partial flooding of the track, and we were 40 minutes late into Toronto. No announcement or apology regarding this was made. In Toronto baggage recovery was utter chaos. For some reason the conveyor belt was not used, and all bags were manhandled after a delay of over 30 minutes. Staff became very flustered and irritable. Mutterings about Via's efficiency were heard from several travellers. From Toronto we travelled to New York by the Maple Leaf and after various comments on this site we were both somewhat apprehensive! Our first encounter was with and irate elderly gentleman who asked us if our Business Class tickets had been taken away? They had not. What had seemingly happened was that the previous day's train had arrived in Toronto over three hours late, due to a fallen tree on the track and the cafe/Business class car was being run 'back to front' which meant that coach class passengers queuing for refreshments would intrude in the Business Class section. This seemingly invalidated its claim to be considered as Business Class. Unfortunately this explanation did not mollify the gentleman and every change of crew was bombarded by his indignation, much to the irritation of his wife and several other passengers. Both the Via and Amtrak crews dealt very patiently and courteously with him. The car had 2x1 seating, large windows, very generous leg room and most adaptable tables. There was also plenty of room for luggage. The two hour wait at Niagara, NY, is annoying but we were prepared for it and the immigration officers were at least courteous, more so than their Canadian counterpart in Montreal had been. US immigration is a contentious issue with British travellers at present but apart from one over-officious official two years ago at O'Hare, we have been lucky. On leaving Niagara we met the Amtrak cafe attendant and conductor who both apologised for the inconvenience caused by the set-up of the car, served us immediately and advised that there would then be a queue for the 90 minutes. I did not get the attendants's name but he was brilliant, typical of so many on-train Amtrak staff we have encountered over the last three years. He worked like a Trojan for the next nine hours, always retaining his sense of humour. As far as I am aware he did not run out of food either! There were a few delays between Buffalo and Albany but we were kept informed of the causes, freight trains. The journey actually passed quite quickly. There are scenic highlights, like the Niagara Gorge and stretches of Lake Erie before Schenachtedy. Also one of my favourites, the Hudson River; I think it even surpasses the Rhine Valley. The rest is pleasant countryside, at times offering those occasional glimpses into small-town US life which are best seen from the train. The summer schedule beyond Alabany has been extended by 30 minutes to accommodate track works but our train did not require this, arriving in NY just after 9.40.It was good to detrain, relaxed, in the middle of NY with just a few minutes walk to our hotel. The final leg was to Boston on the 12.05 Acela. The only problem was again with Departure Lounge staff. When we first checked into the Acela Lounge we were asked if we required Redcap help, which not knowing the station particularly well we did, and were told we would be called at 11.45. Passengers were subsequently called by name to the front desk for a variety of trains. Then the desk employee changed and there were no further announcements. At 11.30 I introduced myself to her and asked if we should come to the desk. No, she would call us. The train was announced, no call. At 11.50 I asked where the Redcap was. She did not know, we had better get to platform 11 a, all this time she was on the phone and totally indifferent to our position. Luckily there was a Redcap outside the lounge and he quickly led us to platform 11 b, the correct one! I have no doubt that most Acela travellers are very familiar with the routine and also travel with little baggage but it is for the exceptions that these people are important. They can make the difference between a pleasant and a disasterous experience. That is the only poor experience we have had in a Acela/Metropolitan Lounge. The train staff were great, Javier, I think and his assisstant. Just as smart as the Via crew, but by no means as stiff and formal. Just the right level of levity and humour and they provided excellent service. We both enjoyed the Acela experience, apart from a few sections of bumpy track! Again plenty of luggage room, comfortable seats, leg-room, wide windows. Good food and drink. Even though we joined the train half way through its journey all food options were available; in fact we have never known Amtrak run out of food. On the last section of the route we also experienced some fast running. It was exhilerating. As we sat incarcerated for two hours in the plane in Boston on Tuesday night, the vehicle that pushes the plane backwards had broken down, we thought very fondly of Amtrak. I cannot imagine anyone living betwen Boston and Washington D.C preferring to travel by plane, especially when the view from the train is taken into account. Roll on our next Amtrak experience!
Posts: 168 | From: uk. northumberland | Registered: Jun 2007
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I know that Via train 57 well, and I do my best to avoid it. It is a local and is the only train between Montreal and Toronto that has a baggage car (I think to serve the train to Halifax). I too have been in the position when Via runs out of food in their first class, and once they failed to have salad and dessert in addition to not having my choice for lunch. I will give the staff credit for finding dessert after the stop in Kingston and I was given a credit for a future trip, so I was not too annoyed. I also agree that Via's first class does not provide sufficient leg room and the cars are too crowded for a first-class environment. However, if you take a train other than 57 I think you will find the Via 1 class quite good. As for Amtrak's business class car on the Maple Leaf, I do agree that the 2/1 arrangement is roomy, but spending more than 12 hours on the run to New York is just too long for a train without first class and a proper dining car. That is why I've never gone farther than Rochester on that train from Toronto. As for Amtrak not running out of food, you should try their long distance trains where that seems to happen on virtually every run, whereas on Via's Canadian it almost never happens. As for Acela's first class, I have yet to have the opportunity to try it, so I cannot express an opinion about that service.
I enjoyed your trip report, it was well written and gave an objective analysis of the pros and cons of both Via and Amtrak.
Posts: 524 | From: Toronto Ont. Canada | Registered: Mar 2001
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We have travelled on the Zephyr, Lake Shore, Coast Starlight and Empire Builder and never run of menu options. Yes, I agree a dining car would have been welcome, but we knew there wasn't one and made advance arangements, which, as it transpired, were unnecesary.
Posts: 168 | From: uk. northumberland | Registered: Jun 2007
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Thanks for the report. You are right about tr # 57 and its EB counterpart, the schedule is considerably longer than the other service on this route. If you travel again, I would suggest checking your bags but then traveling either earlier or later and then pick up bags at your convenience. As to Via 1 food run outs, it is SOP. If you are at the opposite end of the car from where they start taking orders, you basically receive what is left. I have observed many times however, attendants inform people to order meal in advance next time to insure getting what they can eat. (I assume this is off the special meal menu, but not sure.) I can also assure you the same situations occur on Acela first class, however to a lessor degree because depending on the crowd and time of day, often people don't eat, thus leaving for choices for others. Finally, I agree that Javier is a class act, is he not? He worked as the dining car Steward on the Capital Ltd for a few years but after getting burned out on there came over to Acela First Class.
Posts: 332 | From: Long Island, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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As one who travels many times a year in VIA 1 class, I totally agree that the "2+2" seating is not exactly first class. On just about all railways in the world, first class is "2+1" as it used to be in the early days of VIA. If we go back far enough, CNR and CPR offered individual swivel parlour car seats, but alas ...
Converting these VIA 1 cars to "2+1" seating would mean reducing the capacity by 13 or 15 seats, depending on which side of the car was affected, so it is unlikely to happen. On the subject of meal trays, it has been written in Vialogue that bigger trays will be fitted when the interiors are refurbished, a project that has started.
Unfortunately, meal selection is always going to result in some passengers being disappointed. If money were no object, the only perfect solution would be for VIA to stock all three main course selections for each of the 56 seats. Of course this is not going to happen. The next-best solution is to encourage passengers to pre-order their selection. Although the menus can be read on-line, only dietetic and religious meals can be ordered through the VIA Website. But if you can make a phone call or visit an agent no less than 48 hours ahead of the trip, a passenger can book one of the three regular meals. Only once when booking VIA 1 on the phone did the agent invite me to pre-order my meal. Even on an Executive Class flight from Toronto to Vancouver (a fare of over $1500) there are only two meal selections and orders are taken from passengers according to their rank in the frequent flyer programme.
I also agree with the previous posters that train #57 should be avoided if possible. The two attendants are usually run off their feet with work and, with the coming and going of passengers at the many stops, a passenger can get dehydrated. For some reason, the opposing train (#60) has usually offered better service even though they are just as busy. The best train for service on this route is the semi-express runs #66 & 67. Having said that, next month I have booked my wife and I on our least favourite trains - the aforementioned #57 # 60 - simply because of convenience in connections to and from Halifax.
Posts: 216 | From: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 2000
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