Canadian Train Vacation Articles
- Canadian Rockies Train Vacations
- Rocky Mountaineer Services
- Routes on the Rocky Mountaineer
- Via Rail Canada Service Classes
- A Brief History of the Canada Pacific Railway
- Travel in Style on the Royal Canadian Pacific Service
- Canadian Wilderness Tours by Train
- Canadian Canoeing Vacations by Train
- Canada Heli-Hiking Tours by Train
- Canada Train Vacations as Honeymoons
- Polar Bear Train Tours In Canada
- Visit The Polar Bear Capital Of The World On Canada Train Tours
- The Chateau Lake Louise
- Canada's Chateau Laurier
- Canada’s Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
- Train Tours to Canada’s Hotel Vancouver
- Quebec City's Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac
- Jasper, Alberta Travel and History
- Vacations in Toronto by Train
- Travel by Train to Vancouver, British Columbia
- Halifax, Nova Scotia Train Vacations
- Banff, Alberta Train Travel Options
- Tofino, British Columbia Train Vacations
- Toronto's Fairmont Royal York Hotel
- Canadian Trains in Cinema and Literature
Via Rail Travel in the Canadian Rockies
Via Rail Canada is a great option for anyone looking for the excitement of a Canadian train vacation without the expenses of the Rocky Mountaineer or Royal Canadian Pacific rail services. Via Rail uses nearly 500 passenger trains that travel through 8 of
Canada's 13 provinces. The service has been operating in its current form since 1978 when Via Rail broke away from Canadian National Railways to form its own Crown Corporation.
The first few years of operation were somewhat rocky. Passenger counts on Via Rail's initial, 150 weekly trips climbed during the late '70s. Still, funding became an ever-present issue for the company, and 40 percent of its operations were cut in 1981.
In 1985, Canada's government revived the Super Continental and the Atlantic, two defunct routes from Via Rail's past. Funding from Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's cabinet also made it possible for the service to update its cars and buy new, reliable locomotives.
Over the next few years, inflation, changes in government and other factors led to a series of ups and downs for Via Rail. The train line continues to run and improve its services today thanks to funding from the Canadian government.
Via Rail Canada Service Classes
Much like your favorite airline, Via Rail offers several levels of service:
- Comfort Class (Via Rail's most economically friendly choice) allows passengers to choose their own seats, access a pay-per-use WiFi service and purchase snacks and beverages.
- Via 1 class service features roomy, assigned seating, complimentary 3 course meals and instant boarding privileges.
- Comfort Sleeper service is intended for late night travelers. Passengers stay in a single, double or triple bedroom suite and have access to a private washroom.
Comfort and service aside, travel on the Via Rail has one other significant benefit. Train travel in North America is much safer than car travel. In fact, automobile accidents usually make up 50 percent of anual travel fatalities (train fatalities generally contribute less than 2%). Railways are also safer than air travel, depending on how you look at the somewhat confusing and easily skewed data.
Via Rail's trains stretch from Prince Rupert, British Columbia to Halifax, Nova Scotia and feature plenty of stops in between. Canadian Train Vacations offers a fantastic tour of the Canadian Rockies on the Via Rail train line.
Let us help you book a memorable Canadian train tour today. We offer many different packages that feature rides on Via Rail Canada, the Rocky Mountaineer, Royal Canadian