Could someone tell me or direct me to a site that gives these train`s status as far as on time performance is concerned? Just curious, as having a late arrival time means I`m able to spend more time on these beautiful beasts. Thanks.
Posted by David (Member # 3) on :
Unfortunately, Via doesn't have an easy way to track the progress of its trains. They can, however, be tracked through CN's car tracking service. You cannot search by train number, but by any of the equipment that is on a particular train. The easiest way is to go to www.mediom.qc.ca/~epelleti. These fine railfans have set up a screen which shows all of Via's passenger equipment. The quickest way to find a train is to search through the diners or "Park" cars for a transcontinental train. Once you find a car that matches the train and date you are interested in you can then follow it across the country. Once you have identified a passenger car you can also go directly to CN's site: www.cn.ca and enter the car number in the "Shipment Tracking" section.
CN's attitude towards Via is such that you should not expect the "Canadian" to be on time. The eastbound train, in particular, is doing well if it arrives in Toronto the same calendar day on which it is due. Time-keeping aside, it is a splendid train and you will have a great trip.
Posted by David (Member # 3) on :
I have just noticed that if you click on the car tracking web site as it appears on my previous posting, it will not work. It must be the "dot" at the end of my sentence which is causing the problem. The following should work: www.mediom.qc.ca/~epelleti