NS VIA Fan
Conductor
50 years ago this week.....October 31, 1965.....the Pool Train Agreement between Canadian National and Canadian Pacific ended.
Although not specifically VIA.....it did lead to the establishment of what form the main Corridor routes today.
Passenger train schedules and equipment between Toronto & Montreal, Toronto & Ottawa and between Montreal & Quebec City had been pooled since 1933 and tickets were interchangeable between either railway.
(Note Montreal <> Ottawa trains were not part of the pool agreement)
Now the railways were free to pursue their own objectives and for CN.....it launched the new Rapido: 4 hr/59 min for the 335 miles between Toronto and Montreal.....one of the fastest intercity train in North America.
CP tried with their new Stainless Steel and Domes “Royal York” w/b and “Chateau Champlain” e/b but the fast competition and lower fares were just too much.
At that time CN did not operate between Toronto and Ottawa. That was exclusively CP territory and with the end of the pool agreement....services were drastically reduced to a single RDC “Dayliner” run each way between Toronto and Ottawa and an RDC from Ottawa connecting with the Royal York/Chateau Champlain at Smiths Falls. Particularly missed were the overnight trains to/fr Ottawa.
Although not specifically VIA.....it did lead to the establishment of what form the main Corridor routes today.
Passenger train schedules and equipment between Toronto & Montreal, Toronto & Ottawa and between Montreal & Quebec City had been pooled since 1933 and tickets were interchangeable between either railway.
(Note Montreal <> Ottawa trains were not part of the pool agreement)
Now the railways were free to pursue their own objectives and for CN.....it launched the new Rapido: 4 hr/59 min for the 335 miles between Toronto and Montreal.....one of the fastest intercity train in North America.
CP tried with their new Stainless Steel and Domes “Royal York” w/b and “Chateau Champlain” e/b but the fast competition and lower fares were just too much.
At that time CN did not operate between Toronto and Ottawa. That was exclusively CP territory and with the end of the pool agreement....services were drastically reduced to a single RDC “Dayliner” run each way between Toronto and Ottawa and an RDC from Ottawa connecting with the Royal York/Chateau Champlain at Smiths Falls. Particularly missed were the overnight trains to/fr Ottawa.
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