Yesterday’s news out of Montreal was a stunner: VIA Rail Canada will re-equip its long-distance, regional, and remote-service trains with new single-level equipment — including dome cars for its flagship, the Vancouver-Toronto Canadian.
VIA Rail’s 70-year-old Budd-built stainless steel fleet is a testament to durability and design. But nothing lasts forever, and despite all their classic streamliner charm, the venerable Budd cars have served well beyond their useful lives.
Industry observers had expected VIA Rail to follow Amtrak’s lead as the U.S. passenger railroad looks to replace its aging bilevel long-distance fleet. Canada, the thinking went, would simply have its next generation equipment tacked on to whatever Amtrak ordered. Instead, VIA has leapfrogged ahead of Amtrak.
Now, with funding approved in Ottawa and the promise of new equipment on the horizon, VIA Rail is making a statement: The Canadian is here to stay and it’s getting a 21st-century makeover worthy of the last great streamliner.
Let’s start with the dome car. For you and me, the dome offers a front-row seat to the railroad, where you can immerse yourself in the tracks, signals, and trains ahead. For the typical passenger, the 360-degree glass is simply the best way to soak up Canada’s landscape, from the Rockies to the Prairies and on to Ontario’s forests and the Toronto skyline. In either case, there’s nothing like a dome.
Purists will lament the lack of a classic round-end dome-observation car. There’s no argument that VIA’s Park series cars are an iconic exclamation point on the end of the Canadian. But VIA says those curvy derrieres would be too expensive to build today. That’s a pity, as is VIA’s plan to equip only the Canadian with domes. There are regional train routes – VIA’s service linking Jasper, Alberta, with Prince Rupert, British Columbia, comes to mind – that have scenery deserving of a dome.
But what’s important is that the dome car is coming off the endangered species list. The fear had been that they would not be replaced – or could not be replaced if VIA Rail re-equipped its trains with bi-level equipment. So, long live the dome.
There’s much to like in the rest of VIA Rail’s proposed consist. Every car type (save baggage, for obvious reasons) features an abundance of glass that should create an open feeling inside while offering passengers great views outside, particularly in the panorama lounges that feature couches, tables, and floor-to-ceiling wraparound windows.
Dining cars will get the wraparound treatment, too. And — Amtrak take note — they will, in VIA’s words, “have a full kitchen, allowing our chefs to prepare tasty meals using fresh ingredients, with an emphasis on local produce.” VIA gets it: Meals made to order in the galley and served at your table are not a frill. They’re an essential part of the passenger train experience.
VIA also seeks four different types of sleeping cars. A “room sleeper’s” compartments will accommodate two people, with facing seats by day and upper and lower bunks at night. All rooms in the accessible sleeper will be able to serve people with disabilities. The berth sleeper is a blast from the past: The all-section car caters to loonie-conscious passengers who want more overnight comfort than coach but don’t want to splurge for a private room. Prestige sleepers are at the other end of the budget spectrum and will feature large rooms with fold-down double beds.
In a compromise that may not sit well with single travelers who like privacy, roomettes are missing from the new sleeper accommodations. Berths are the economical choice, while the rooms for two maximize capacity and revenue potential compared to roomettes. It’s a trade-off for sure, but we won’t know how much of one until the new trains arrive and fares are set.
VIA Rail puts an asterisk on the illustrations of the proposed equipment: They’re conceptual. The final designs may differ, and much will depend on budgetary considerations. But the fact that prospective manufacturers have been in on the process from the beginning suggests that what VIA has in mind is within the realm of the possible.
The concepts themselves are exciting, hinting at a train that blends modern style with the timeless appeal of the Canadian. Whether the new equipment lives up to VIA’s vision remains to be seen, but the intention is clear. VIA Rail is thinking big.
You can reach Bill Stephens at bybillstephens@gmail.com and follow him on LinkedIn and X @bybillstephens
