Via Rail re-instates Winnipeg to Churchill Servicle

[Gotrans]

VIA RAIL SERVICE RESUMES IN NORTHERN MANITOBA, BETWEEN GILLAM AND CHURCHILL

Tuesday, November 27th 2018

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MONTRÉAL, November 26, 2018 - VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) is pleased to announce that passenger train service will resume in northern Manitoba, between Gillam and Churchill, on December 2, 2018. Trains will once again travel in both directions, according to the regular schedule that was in effect prior to the suspension of service in spring 2017.

Upon completion of the repairs and inspections that were required, the infrastructure owner, Arctic Gateway, confirmed that the track is now safe for passenger operations. The Gillam – Churchill route has been restored following the suspension of service in May 2017 after major flooding severely damaged the rails.

“We are very pleased to be able to once again offer passenger transport service throughout northern Manitoba. We understand the major inconveniences the interruption of this essential service may have caused the people living along the Winnipeg – Churchill route, and specially the Town of Churchill” said Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail. “The restoration of service will enable VIA Rail to continue to honour its commitment to remote communities, and enable those in northern Manitoba to hopefully return to a more normal life by being better connected, especially with the holiday season right around the corner. Moreover, the reopening of this Adventure route will satisfy visitors smitten by the vast landscapes of the area.”

VIA Rail invites customers to buy their tickets today online at viarail.ca/en or by phone by calling 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245) or 1 800 268-9503 (for persons who are hard of hearing).

Schedule* as of Sunday, December 2, 2018

 

		Train 693		Train 691
Winnipeg	dep	12:05	Sun+Tue
The Pas	arr	01:45	Mon+Wed
	dep	02:30	Mon+Wed	02:30	Fri
Thompson	arr	12:00	Mon+Wed	12:00	Fri
	dep	17:00	Mon+Wed	17:00	Fri
Gillam	dep	23:30	Mon+Wed	23:30	Fri
Churchill	arr	09:00	Tue+Thu	09:00	Sat
		Train 690		Train 692
Churchill	dep	19:30	Tue	19:30	Thu+Sat
Gillam	dep	05:30	Wed	05:30	Fri+Sun
Thompson	arr	11:30	Wed	11:30	Fri+Sun
	dep	14:00	Wed	14:00	Fri+Sun
The Pas	arr	23:30	Wed	23:30	Fri+Sun
	dep			03:15	Sat+Mon
Winnipeg	arr			16:45	Sat+Mon

* Main stops only. Please visit viarail.ca for a full list of stops.

[SD70Dude]

Great news.  It's aboot time!

[BaltACD]

 

Gotrans

VIA RAIL SERVICE RESUMES IN NORTHERN MANITOBA, BETWEEN GILLAM AND CHURCHILL

Tuesday, November 27th 2018

---

 

MONTRÉAL, November 26, 2018 - VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) is pleased to announce that passenger train service will resume in northern Manitoba, between Gillam and Churchill, on December 2, 2018. Trains will once again travel in both directions, according to the regular schedule that was in effect prior to the suspension of service in spring 2017.

Upon completion of the repairs and inspections that were required, the infrastructure owner, Arctic Gateway, confirmed that the track is now safe for passenger operations. The Gillam – Churchill route has been restored following the suspension of service in May 2017 after major flooding severely damaged the rails.

“We are very pleased to be able to once again offer passenger transport service throughout northern Manitoba. We understand the major inconveniences the interruption of this essential service may have caused the people living along the Winnipeg – Churchill route, and specially the Town of Churchill” said Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail. “The restoration of service will enable VIA Rail to continue to honour its commitment to remote communities, and enable those in northern Manitoba to hopefully return to a more normal life by being better connected, especially with the holiday season right around the corner. Moreover, the reopening of this Adventure route will satisfy visitors smitten by the vast landscapes of the area.”

VIA Rail invites customers to buy their tickets today online at viarail.ca/en or by phone by calling 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245) or 1 800 268-9503 (for persons who are hard of hearing).

Schedule* as of Sunday, December 2, 2018

 

		Train 693		Train 691
Winnipeg	dep	12:05	Sun+Tue
The Pas	arr	01:45	Mon+Wed
	dep	02:30	Mon+Wed	02:30	Fri
Thompson	arr	12:00	Mon+Wed	12:00	Fri
	dep	17:00	Mon+Wed	17:00	Fri
Gillam	dep	23:30	Mon+Wed	23:30	Fri
Churchill	arr	09:00	Tue+Thu	09:00	Sat
		Train 690		Train 692
Churchill	dep	19:30	Tue	19:30	Thu+Sat
Gillam	dep	05:30	Wed	05:30	Fri+Sun
Thompson	arr	11:30	Wed	11:30	Fri+Sun
	dep	14:00	Wed	14:00	Fri+Sun
The Pas	arr	23:30	Wed	23:30	Fri+Sun
	dep			03:15	Sat+Mon
Winnipeg	arr			16:45	Sat+Mon

* Main stops only. Please visit viarail.ca for a full list of stops.

Am I looking at the times correctly on #693 - 13 Hours 40 minutes Winnepeg to The Pas?  9 hours 30 minutes The Pas to Thompson, 6 Hours 30 minutes Thompson to depart Gilliam, 9 hours 30 minutes Gillam to Churchill.  38 hours and 10 minutes traveling on a total trip time of 44 hours 55 minutes.  What is the distance from Winnepeg to Churchill.  (note I am not complaining - I understand it is rugged country and at present less than high speed trackage)
 

[SD70Dude]

VIA runs over 4 CN branchline subdivisions from Portage La Prairie to The Pas, most of that stretch has track speeds of well under 60 mph.  

Thompson is at the end of a 20 or 30 mile branch off the main HBRY route.  

The trip to Churchill is quite an oddessy.

[MidlandMike]

That's quite a lengthy stop at Thompson, at least northbound.  I see on satellite view that the wye has a long tail track that could probably turn the passenger train.

[Overmod]

A k nowledgeable Canadian needs to look into this and advise why the stops are such disparate lengths by direction.

Can this be to have arrival at particular times of day?

[Deggesty]

Here are the distances between Winnipeg and Churchill, as found in the April 1967 Guide.

Winnipeg to Hudson Bay, via Kamsack: 394.6 miles

Hudson Bay to The Pas: 88.1 miles

The Pas to Sipiwesk (junction for Thompson): 199.6 miles

Sipiwesk to Thompon: 30.7 miles; then return to Sipiwesk

Sipiwesk to Churchill: 310.2 miles.

1,053.9 miles   

 

[BaltACD]

Deggesty

Here are the distances between Winnipeg and Churchill, as found in the April 1967 Guide.

Winnipeg to Hudson Bay, via Kamsack: 394.6 miles

Hudson Bay to The Pas: 88.1 miles

The Pas to Sipiwesk (junction for Thompson): 199.6 miles

Sipiwesk to Thompon: 30.7 miles; then return to Sipiwesk

Sipiwesk to Churchill: 310.2 miles.

1,053.9 miles   

Considering the mileage and the character of the railroad and the territory it traverses the time expended is not all that out of line.  An average of slightly more than 23 MPH in such conditions isn't all that bad.

[runnerdude48]

BaltACD

Considering the mileage and the character of the railroad and the territory it traverses the time expended is not all that out of line.  An average of slightly more than 23 MPH in such conditions isn't all that bad.

Maybe considering the character of the railroad the speed is not unreasonable but the question remains as to why anyone would even think about riding this train especially to its end point.  Both Churchill and Thompson which is the 2nd largest city in Manitoba have good airports for the majority of people who go there.  The intermediate stops could be served by a once a week mixed train at far less cost then a train with sleeper, diner and coaches.  When I rode the line, admittedly over 40 years ago, most of the little villages were on or near lakes where float planes would easily land.  Before the flooding I think there was a story on the Trains Newswire about a derailment of this train and there were reportedly only 7 passengers on board.  It boggles the mind that anyone would take 44 hours, almost 2 days, to travel a distance that can be covered by plane in maybe 3 - 3 1/2 hours.  No wonder Canadian taxes are so high.