Maple Leaf's Back to Toronto

[JWM]

Link below to "Trains" news article. The Maple Leaf left NYC and today and will end in Toronto. Return trip starts tomorrow.

New York-Toronto ‘Maple Leaf’ resumes operation - Trains

NEW YORK — Amtrak’s Maple Leaf has resumed service to and from Toronto, marking the first cross-border rail service to be resumed since pandemic-related cuts in 2020. Amtrak announced this morning that the northbound Maple Leaf, operated in conjunction with VIA Rail Canada, would operate to...

www.trains.com

 

[jiml]

I hope someone told VIA!

Also hoping the passengers all brought masks, as they'll be required to put them on at Niagara Falls. Since relaxing the vaccination requirements the Canadian government has upped the ante on onboard masking. Here is the latest from the website Flyertalk which, although specific to airplanes applies equally to trains:

Per the Interim Order Respecting Certain Requirements for Civil Aviation Due to COVID-19, passengers and flight crew are required to wear a mask for the duration of all flights to and from Canada, regardless of the flight’s last point of departure or the operating carrier. These provisions of the Interim Order include both the responsibility of the air carrier to advise passengers of the obligation to wear a mask, as well as their requirement to ensure passengers do so. They also require passengers to comply with such instruction. Transport Canada is in constant communication with all carriers, both foreign and domestic, to ensure a proper understanding of Canadian regulations.

This information can also be referenced on several government websites.

 

[JWM]

I hope someone told VIA!

Also hoping the passengers all brought masks, as they'll be required to put them on at Niagara Falls. Since relaxing the vaccination requirements the Canadian government has upped the ante on onboard masking. Here is the latest from the website Flyertalk which, although specific to airplanes applies equally to trains:

This quote can also be referenced on several government websites.

You are correct and all passengers must complete the "ArriveCan" application. Link below.

ArriveCAN - Canada.ca

Use the ArriveCAN app or online before leaving your home country to provide mandatory travel information required for entry into Canada.

www.canada.ca

 

[jiml]

You are correct and all passengers must complete the "ArriveCan" application. Link below.

ArriveCAN - Canada.ca

Use the ArriveCAN app or online before leaving your home country to provide mandatory travel information required for entry into Canada.

www.canada.ca

Yes, and that's a whole lot of fun too, having just done it this past week. That said, no one asked about it at the border.

 

[JWM]

Yes, and that's a whole lot of fun too, having just done it this past week. That said, no one asked about it at the border.

Point well taken. They can't make them swim back over the Niagra River!

 

[GAT]

Point well taken. They can't make them swim back over the Niagra River!

True. Instead, they'll put you in a barrel and send you over the falls.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Am I correct this was not announced, or known, previously? If so, I completely missed it, even here. Beyond me why they would pull a surprise like this and why they wouldn't want it known in advance. I can't imagine there were any passengers at all north of Niagara Falls.

 

[zephyr17]

I hope someone told VIA!

Also hoping the passengers all brought masks, as they'll be required to put them on at Niagara Falls. Since relaxing the vaccination requirements the Canadian government has upped the ante on onboard masking. Here is the latest from the website Flyertalk which, although specific to airplanes applies equally to trains:

This information can also be referenced on several government websites.

Amtrak's announcement is quite clear about masking requirements once across the border, as well as ArriveCAN and vaccination requirements.

Amtrak Advisory | Maple Leaf Cross Border Service Resumption

www.amtrak.com

While ReserVIA did not show availability as soon as Amtrak did last week, VIA trains 97 and 98, the Maple Leaf showed up as bookable in viarail.ca over the weekend. Oddly, unlike before COVID, it is only bookable online to Canadian points, as far as Niagara Falls, ON on viarail.ca. It takes you to a page stating for travel from Canada to the US, you need to call. Before COVID you could book the whole route on viarail.ca, although booking through VIA did not offer Business Class. On Amtrak.com you can book the whole route (multiple segments 7097-64, 63-7098).

Amtrak announced it last week, Trains.com had it a couple days before the advisory was released on Amtrak.com, IIRC.

 

[Amtrak25]

VIA just can't wait to dump operation of this train on GO at the soonest opportunity. They can't be bothered with US travel on their system.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I guess the resumption of service negates all those comments on this board that the train "will never return." Guess some people don't have as much inside information as they think they do.

 

[zephyr17]

Kinda had their opportunity in just not starting 97/98 up again, though, didn't they?

I wonder what the factors were that caused VIA to agree to a restart. I frankly thought the resumption of the Leaf would be pretty iffy, given it required VIA's cooperation in ways neither the Cascades nor the Adirondack do, so I genuinely curious about the factors that led VIA to agree to resuming the service.

 

[jiml]

I don't recall anyone saying the train would never return, but I will certainly admit that I thought it would be last of the 3 cross-border routes as opposed to the first. There was every reason to believe the Vancouver route would lead the restoration.

 

[west point]

I thought Vancouveer would be 1st as well...Speculation--- Maybe lack of equipment??

 

[MARC Rider]

True. Instead, they'll put you in a barrel and send you over the falls.

Actually, the Whirlpool Bridge is downstream of the Falls. Refusing entry to a northbound passenger and sending him back to the States is going to actually take some effort and expense (even if it's just a ride in a cop car). It really would be a good idea if CBSA would use the space allocated to them in the Niagara Falls NY station, and do the C&I clearance before the bridge is crossed. Of course, the same is through for southbound passengers who are refused entry to the USA. Again, another roundabout ride in a cop car to get them back to Canada.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I thought Vancouveer would be 1st as well...Speculation--- Maybe lack of equipment??

Lack of OBS is the Main Reason!

 

[desertflyer]

I was booked on the Maple Leaf next week with two bikes from Albany to Syracuse. A few days ago I got a voucher for $40 with no explanation from Amtrak. Sure enough, the bikes had been removed from my reservation without any notice other than a $40 refund. There's no bike space available anymore. Luckily I knew to check my reservation and change to a later train, otherwise this could have been a bad situation. I wonder if the Canadian service restoration played a role? Very odd.

 

[zephyr17]

I thought Vancouveer would be 1st as well...Speculation--- Maybe lack of equipment??

No speculation necessary. Lack of T&E and OBS crews and maintenance personnel, spelled out in a letter from Amtrak to the Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation.

DocumentCloud

www.documentcloud.org

And WSDOT and ODOT are not happy about it:

DocumentCloud

www.documentcloud.org

And it was Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation that decided to release the information to the news media rather than keeping it quiet. Note that until May, all agencies involved were extremely tight lipped about it. WSDOT is pretty angry at Amtrak about this, and decided to go public.

 

[zephyr17]

Actually, the Whirlpool Bridge is downstream of the Falls. Refusing entry to a northbound passenger and sending him back to the States is going to actually take some effort and expense (even if it's just a ride in a cop car). It really would be a good idea if CBSA would use the space allocated to them in the Niagara Falls NY station, and do the C&I clearance before the bridge is crossed. Of course, the same is through for southbound passengers who are refused entry to the USA. Again, another roundabout ride in a cop car to get them back to Canada.

They could take them back over the Whirlpool, which is right there. While Whirlpool is NEXUS only, I am sure that if CBSA and CBP wanted to use the Whirlpool, to get people back on the other side, they could.