The Ocean - Some Seasonal Changes

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NS VIA Fan

NS VIA Fan

Conductor
Joined
Sep 24, 2011
Messages
1,975
Location
Nova Scotia
Sleeper Plus Class has ended for the season but the Park Dome Observation is still running and is now open to all sleeper passengers.

Heres westbound #15 at Truro on Sunday afternoon, October 26: Three F40s with 15 cars including a Baggage Car, 3 Coaches, 2 Lounges and a Diner, 6 Sleepers and a Transition Car with Tweedsmuir Park bringing up the markers.

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There appeared to be quite a few aboard already…… not bad for a train that’s only 64 miles into its 840 mile overnight journey. From Moncton west it will really fill up…..especially in the sleepers. (Perhaps this is why we are not seeing as many express deals now…..the trains are busy already!)

And some changes and additional trains for Christmas…..

As in previous years, the days of the week the Ocean operates over the Holidays are being adjusted but unlike the past couple of years, VIA has loaded some extra Oceans into the reservation system for the days it doesn’t normally run. And there’s also a surprise......the extra trains will be using the Budd Stainless Steel equipment with Sleeper Plus Class including meals and exclusive access to the Park Car. The extra trains also include coaches so VIA (and I’m just guessing here) will probably operate a Skyline car to provide meal, lounge and a Dome for coach passengers. The train will look just like the Canadian in service and amenities! The usual Renaissance Ocean consists will operate with three classes over the holidays: Sleeper Plus (with a Park Car) regular Sleeper and Coach.

There seems to be new interest in the Ocean. Perhaps from the media coverage of its near death last spring to the 110th Anniversary celebration in July. And now the upgrading of the CN’s Newcastle Subdivision has begun…..the portion that had been subject to abandonment.
 
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Thanks for sharing those great photos and information about the "Ocean"

Just wondering if you have heard any news on "my" Gaspe train????

Thanks....
 
gaspeamtrak said:
Thanks for sharing those great photos and information about the "Ocean"

Just wondering if you have heard any news on "my" Gaspe train????

Thanks....
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All I’ve heard……no funding deal is in place yet for the track upgrades VIA requires before they will restore service on the "Chaleur" route.
 
I'm glad to hear of extra runs. Which days are they adding trains, and is it beyond 3x weekly during the period (i.e. a 4th or 5th day of service being added)?
 
I'm glad to hear of extra runs. Which days are they adding trains, and is it beyond 3x weekly during the period (i.e. a 4th or 5th day of service being added)?
 
Anderson said:
I'm glad to hear of extra runs. Which days are they adding trains, and is it beyond 3x weekly during the period (i.e. a 4th or 5th day of service being added)?
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For now there are three additional eastbound trains in the reservation system and three additional westbound. They are interspersed with the regular trains so on several days there could be departures two or three days in a row....Not much for now but certainly better than the past couple years and I’m going to hope a similar arrangement might happen next summer on the busiest days. Last summer there were several dates the Ocean was completely sold out
 
In your notes you state "The train will look just like the Canadian in service and amenities!" Perhaps in amenities but not in service. I have taken the Ocean both east and west from Halifax four times in the past year and have nothing good to say about the service. It is slow, laggard, haphazard, less than friendly and when compared to the Canadian, well, there is no comparison. The Ocean just does not rank.
 
BCDanina said:
In your notes you state "The train will look just like the Canadian in service and amenities!" Perhaps in amenities but not in service.........
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I believe I encountered the same crew FreeskierinVT did (see his trip report) returning from Campbellton early this summer. Service was friendly enough but slow and a couple of times I thought I was being ignored (and I’m not 21 as Freeskier thought might have been the problem!).

The other times this summer….an August round trip between Truro and Montreal in Sleeper Plus Class….. Service was top notch and Was on par with my trip on the Canadian last winter. Especially from the Park Car attendant.
 
NS VIA Fan said:
The extra trains also include coaches so VIA (and I’m just guessing here) will probably operate a Skyline car to provide meal, lounge and a Dome for coach passengers.
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Now being reported on the Can-Pass-Rail Forum the extra trains will be a complete Budd consist including a Skyline Dome plus a full Budd Diner with chef (so hopefully some traditional Christmas menu items!)
 
I must say that the remainder of the crew I experienced on the Ocean this summer were superb. The service manager onboard the train made it his priority to help me find my bag in the filled-to-the-brim baggage car when I decided to depart at St. Lambert to connect to the Adirondack just a few minutes before the station stop. The Park Car attendant was one of the nicest people I have ever met, and the service car attendant gladly accepted my challenge of recommending an amazing Nova Scotian beer (which was actually my first legal drink, since I was 20 at the time).

My experience in the dining car was definitely a bummer but certainly did not detract from the overall trip greatly. I would still highly recommend taking the Ocean to anyone who's eyeing it.
 
NS VIA Fan said:
Anderson said:
I'm glad to hear of extra runs. Which days are they adding trains, and is it beyond 3x weekly during the period (i.e. a 4th or 5th day of service being added)?
Click to expand...
For now there are three additional eastbound trains in the reservation system and three additional westbound. They are interspersed with the regular trains so on several days there could be departures two or three days in a row....Not much for now but certainly better than the past couple years and I’m going to hope a similar arrangement might happen next summer on the busiest days. Last summer there were several dates the Ocean was completely sold out
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This is good to hear. With at least some luck the train will claw its way back to more regular peak-season operation (which will make the ferry loop more doable).
 
And some more changes coming to the Ocean……

Originally VIA had planned to offer Sleeper Plus Class on the Ocean only for a couple of weeks over the Christmas Holidays (besides the usual mid June to mid October) but now they’ve just announced it will be offered year ‘round beginning on December 14.

For around $35 to $50 more depending on the fare class…..Sleeper Plus will include meals and upgraded amenities but unlike the summer months you will not have exclusive use of the Park Car……it will still be open to all sleeper passengers in the off-season.

Park Car accommodations not usually sold in the winter will now be offered as “Twin Cabin for Two” (a double bedroom suite) and “Large Cabin for Two” (old style Drawing Room)

http://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/trains/atlantic-canada/montreal-halifax-ocean

http://www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/trains/atlantic-canada/montreal-halifax-ocean/classes
 
There's been a lot of advertising recently (half-page-colour) in the local papers regarding the additional Oceans VIA is running for the Christmas Season this year. It's been a few years since I've seen advertising like this locally. From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:

(There's been some changes for the better since VIA's new president Yves DesJardines-Siciliano took over!)

Ocean%20Ad.jpg
 
Great ad...very reminiscent of some of Amtrak's materials from the last few years, actually, now that I think about it.

Honestly, the new guy seems to be trying to undo the damage done under his predecessor. If we're lucky, he'll try to claw back more frequent service on at least a seasonal basis for the Ocean.
 
jimhudson said:
Nice ad! Wonder how many Canadians actually read the blurb that's in both English and French that are required by law in the Great White North?
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No blurb here in English and French. The Herald is an English newspaper so this Ad is in English only. Same as I would expect an Ad for the Ocean appearing in a Moncton or Montreal French newspaper to be in French only.
 
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