The Ocean: Route Change and new Station Stop

[NS VIA Fan]

Beginning on January 7, the Ocean began stopping at Gare de Sainte-Foy in suburban Quebec City instead of Charny on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gare_Ste-Foy.jpg

The Halifax to Montreal Ocean used to back-up about a mile from West Jct. to Charny Station. Now to reach Sainte-Foy, it backs-up an additional 3 miles.......crossing the St. Lawrence on the Quebec Bridge. After its stop, it pulls forward to West Jct and continue onto Montreal.

The eastbound Ocean does the opposite....first pulling across the bridge into Sainte-Foy then backing out to West Jct before continuing onto Halifax.

Here’s a link showing the famous Cantilever “Quebec Bridge”

http://goo.gl/maps/0cC7Phttp://www.trainorders.com/discussion/warning.php?forum_id=15&url=http://goo.gl/maps/0cC7P

........and a view of the parallel highway suspension bridge high above the St. Lawrence taken from an LRC which on its way to Sainte-Foy and Gare du Palais in downtown Quebec City. Also the tops of the two bridges viewed from Ste-Foy Station.

There’s a shuttle-bus available between Sainte-Foy and downtown but prior to 1998, Quebec City was a lot easier to reach from Halifax <> Montreal trains. They stopped at Levis (Lee–Vee) Station which is across the St. Lawrence from downtown Quebec City and you just took a ferry across river.

You can see the now abandoned route to Levis on the map above. It rejoined the current route to Halifax further east.

Here’s the Scotian at Levis in January 1977....That’s the former Canadian Pacific Railway Hotel “Chateau Frontenac” on the cliff across the river.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

Once across the river you can take this neat little Funicular Railway running up the cliff connecting Lower and Upper Town.

 

[tricia]

Thanks for all the cool photos!

 

[railiner]

Thanks from me, too! One of my favorite places...I visit there every year or two on my annual fall cruise. The last time I took the ferry across to Levis, I had thought that the old CN station and tracks were still there, but perhaps not. Or they might still be right there, but as mentioned, abandoned in some other segment....

 

[NS VIA Fan]

The Levis station is still there along with the platform and canopy. The tracks have been removed and it's now a walking trail. The station is nicely restored and is also serves as the ferry terminal.

 

[railiner]

Thanks for clearing that up....I did see the station, just forgot about the missing tracks...