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As mentioned by a countryman in another thread, VIA has submitted a request for new equipment which was reflected in the proposed Federal budget. However our political system is slightly different than the US: while we do have fixed election dates, the current government is in a minority...

FYI: The "VIA 2024" code is still in effect, although availability is dwindling.

In the drawing room of a pre-Prestige Park car, such as those used on the Ocean, the one lower bunk drops parallel to the window and would restrict the movement of the wall panel at its one end. The other two bunks are attached to the wall next to the lower lounge.

That is a far cry from how things used to be for many years. I recall almost abandoning VIA in favor of Amtrak for western itineraries. There were a lot of factors at play however: VIA had slashed service and started the "cruise train" ascent. Trains that weren't overpriced suffered from rundown...

It's not that simple and a good amount of further switching would be required. The consists are currently operating with a baggage car on either end - a Renaissance/transition type on one end and a Budd on the other. This is done to facilitate attaching the locomotives, so have the required...

Today's train, making a dual stop at Amherst, is starting to show a more mixed consist as the Budd sleepers re-appear for the season. It's easy to see where a dome lounge might now fit in.

The current consists of the Ocean are mostly comprised of Renaissance coaches which cannot be coupled to a conventional Budd car without a transition car. This would place any dome car at one end of the consist or the other, and I'm not sure how many of the Skylines still have rotatable seats...

Buffalo (Depew) is an excellent location for the above, being minutes from the airport and its many park and fly hotels. Although parking at the station is quite safe it is not plentiful, so between that and Buffalo's often inclement weather the airport is a good alternative for a longer Amtrak...

Noel is a character! He recently emigrated to the US and now lives near Houston. He's primarily a plane guy but often reports on trains and agree about his Greyhound adventures.

You're not wrong but the winter numbers probably drag down the average.

I had forgotten the bad location of the "new" Saskatoon station until @danasgoodstuff posted the detailed reminder above. Given that the passenger numbers may actually make sense. :(

While VIA could certainly request proposals anytime they want, funding would indeed have to come from Parliament for a purchase of that size. The current government has just issued their new budget in which they proposed many expenditures, but they are currently in a position where a snap...

Indeed, and also a Chicago/Philadelphia/Florida sleeper via the Broadway Limited.

Good news, but the current political climate is likely to force items like this well down on the priority list even if the government survives the next election.

They would have to pass through the second F40. It's more likely that the coach without a galley was substituted at the last minute and was not loaded on this occasion. It would also make sense to store supplies in each train's baggage car.

Sometimes it's a failure of the test criteria rather than its subject. Things might have gone differently in another location, i.e. flat terrain. These are only now being replaced in service between Hamburg and Copenhagen.

I had forgotten about those. It's interesting how trains rejected in one place years ago are still in service elsewhere... these, the Swedish X-2000 and first generation ICE, not to mention VIA and Superliners.

Video of Ocean mixed consist in peak season:

@cirdan comment prompts a question: What was the onboard food like? It has been a "limited" menu for some time (without a lounge car) but some reports from riders suggest they are often out of most everything listed - particularly on the return journey. The pandemic may have been a factor so a...

The unnamed Dallas property is also an Aloft (Dallas Downtown) 3 blocks east of the station on Young Street. There was an excellent steakhouse nearby, although probably better suited to those with expense accounts. ;)