The End of the Pool Agreement

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NS VIA Fan

NS VIA Fan

Conductor
Joined
Sep 24, 2011
Messages
1,975
Location
Nova Scotia
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.

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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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After less than 3 months....CP exited all passenger services between Montreal & Toronto and Ottawa & Toronto.

With the Board of Transport Commissioners blessing....CN now had to hammer together an Ottawa to Toronto route. They owned an old freight only former Canadian Northern Railway line between Ottawa – Smiths Falls and Napanee and the new CN operated daytime trains started using the Ottawa – Smiths Falls segment in mid January 1966. At Smith Falls....CP granted running-rights to CN so the daytime trains could continue on to Brockville where they could connect with the CN’s Montreal <> Toronto trains. This is now essentially the same route VIA’s Ottawa trains follow today. VIA currently owns Ottawa to Smiths Falls and is negotiating to acquire the Smiths Falls – Brockville segment. This route has been extensively rebuilt for higher speeds with new signaling systems and passing sidings.

CN’s new Ottawa – Toronto overnight train started in mid February 1966 but didn’t run via Brockville. It stayed on the old Canadian Northern through Smiths Falls to a jct with the main Montreal-Toronto route near Napanee... then continued onto Toronto.

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CN and CP also went their separate ways between Montreal and Quebec City. CP basically maintained their previous schedules but CN now had their recently launched (1964) Champlain (ex Reading Railroad Crusader) on a fast 3hr/10min schedule.

Prior to 1964, CN did not have a through train between Montreal and Gare du Palais in Quebec City via Drummondville (VIA’s route today). It was exclusively CP territory on the north shore via Trois-Riviere. CN had connecting trains via Richmond or the through trains to the Maritimes that stopped in Levis with a Ferry Connection over to Quebec City.

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Thanks for sharing! I have fond memories of CP Air,( but not Ships) CP and CN Trains and the Grand Railroad Hotels that are mostly Fairmont Hotels today!

I especially miss the Southern Route for the Canadian via Thunder Bay ( there's talk of a partial resumption of this Route) and when the Canadian originated in Montreal instead of Toronto.

Also the Overnight Train between Toronto and Ottawa as you said, and the VIA Overnight Train between Toronto and Montreal,The Enterprise! (Thanks for the name gaspeamtrak!)
 
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It was VIA's "Enterprise" that Paul Martin axed in 2005! I never rode the Cavalier!( Having a Room in the Sleeper was called "Constellation Service" IINM!

It was a great deal ( $75CDN)board in Montreal @1030pm from the Panorama Lounge, roll out and layover in Brockville while you slept, then have Breakfast on the way to Toronto for an 8am arrival where you could do a Cross Platform Transfer to the Canadian on the days it ran!
 
Great stuff....always like these informative posts.

I rode the westbound Cavalier before it was discontinued, just to get my first experience riding in a classic 'Pullman' berth...... :cool:
 
Yeah...to me, it was VIA's version of the "Night Owl"....and a good way to save the cost of a hotel room when doing the NYC-Montreal-Toronto-NYC (or reverse) triangle tour....
 

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