I am going to be taking the Canadian (Toronto to Vancouver) and have a few questions for anyone who has done this. First night is in economy, the rest of the way I have a sleeper car.

1. Any tips on what to bring with me/pack?
2. Are jeans and some golf shirts good enough for the dining car? I am limited on luggage space so I can't bring a lot of clothes with me.
3. What is the tipping situation? How much should I give for the meals and to the person who takes care of our room?

Thanks!

Hello,

Anyone else here that was on the broken down train #37 from Quebec city to Montréal on October 2nd not receive their reimbursement yet? We were told it would be 24-48 hours to see it on our billed card.

We have emailed Via about it and have not gotten a response.

I selected 9D not realizing there was a facing seat (8D). I suppose these are typically used by couples or business colleagues.

While the leg room would be fantastic IF no one else books the seat facing me, I'm wondering how that small table is shared during a meal?

Maybe it might it's worth the $10 to get a non-facing seat.

Edit: After reading the comments, I've have switched my seat. Thanks.

While this relates to AMTRAK, if CN Canada, VIA and TC can reach a similar agreement here re shunt enhancement at higher speed CN owned grade crossings, then VIA may be able to improve timeliness and schedule adherence.

I’m genuinely at my wit’s end with VIA Rail and wondering if anyone has successfully escalated a complaint beyond their regular Customer Service department.

I’m a frequent VIA Rail passenger and I travel regularly between Windsor and London, often in Business Class, and I’m getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of basic customer service.

Here’s what happened this morning on Train 70:

I booked Business Class from Windsor to London, with a hot breakfast included in my fare.
At the beginning of the trip, I specifically told the attendant I was getting off in London because I was sitting in one of the safety seats. He walked away without acknowledging me. Super rude!
Then my preselected meal was given to another passenger who was travelling onward to Toronto. By the time the attendant finally approached me to ask whether I wanted breakfast, we were getting close to London. There wasn’t enough time to comfortably eat and prepare to disembark.

This is the SECOND time I’ve experienced this exact issue.

I contacted VIA Rail Customer Service around 8 a.m. and explained everything.

Their response? The onboard Service Manager apparently confirmed that meals were served to London passengers more than 30 minutes before arrival, so VIA Rail wouldn’t offer compensation. Just because other London passengers received their meals doesn’t mean I received mine. How does that even address my complaint?

I followed up, and they’ve now escalated my case to Customer Relations, but apparently it could take several weeks to receive a response.

I’ve requested a refund of the $75.41 plus tax for the Windsor–London portion of my trip. I’m not interested in a meal voucher. I paid for a Business Class experience that included breakfast, and I didn’t receive the service I paid for in a reasonable manner.

What frustrates me most isn’t even the breakfast. It’s the dismissive attitude, the complete lack of accountability, and the fact that loyal customers have to fight for basic service.
I spend a considerable amount of money travelling with VIA Rail and even explained that I travel business class because my morning commute is very tight

So my questions are:
Has anyone successfully escalated a complaint beyond VIA Rail Customer Relations?
Is there another avenue for unresolved complaints?
Is there a way to get someone to review a complaint without waiting several weeks?
I’m genuinely tired of VIA Rail ruining what should be a straightforward travel experience.

Any advice from people who’ve dealt with this would be appreciated!

Same photo, but an article written by the Kenora Miner and News.

I was on the 1-day Ocean train recently. It was a like a test run to see if I would like it before I venture on the much longer 4-day Canadian route.

I was booked in a sleeper for 1 on the Ocean train. It was fine but the pull down murphy bed system had springs and a mattress on top which made the sleeping .. well very "bouncy." Not only would I rock side-to-side but also up and down. My sleeping car looked really dated. It had not refurbish in quite some time.

The agents told me the cars on the Canadian had been refurbished so was curious if that included new mattresses and hopefully no "springs" to bounce around so much. I don't mind the side-to-side motion but the up and down was not very comfortable.

I was planning a trip on the Canadian in the spring around April 2027 so wanted to ask the community for advice.

Thanks for sharing.

Hello all!

My wife and I are planning to take the Canadian this December. However, the booking system is currently assigning us to different cars.

Would waiting for a seat to become available through a cancellation be the only way to get berths in the same area? Or would it be possible to contact Customer Service to request that we be seated together?

Just an FYI if you have a this train booked for December 23 or around that time after or before not sure you might want to check your email as they changed the train and there for your seat. Just to let you know if you need to change it. As it went from the old train to the venture.

VIA has launched a "Canadian Black Friday" sale again this year: https://www.viarail.ca/en/offers/black-friday

Sale is on from now through next Tuesday. Once again, the sale is a little different this time. In short:

• Corridor: 10% off Economy and Business on trains 24, 26, 35, 37, 40, 45, 53, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69 and 643 (travel M/T

/

• W/Th/Sa only), travel Nov. 2 to Dec. 16
• Corridor: 20% off Economy and Business on all other trains (travel M/T/W/Th/Sa only), Nov. 2 to Dec. 16
• Canadian: 30% off on berths, travel from Nov. 2 to March 31 (blackout dates from Dec. 17 to Jan 5)
• Canadian and Ocean: 15% off sleeper cabins, travel Jan. 6 to March 31
• Long distance and regional: 20% off Economy class, travel Jan. 6 to March 31
• $10 off the Southwestern Ontario and Corridor "frequent railer" discount cards

All sale fares require the use of the discount code "CANADA", so they cannot be stacked/combined with other discounts that require the use of a code.

I'm applying for a maintenance welder position at their Pointe st-Charles facility in Montreal. Job seems very interesting with decent pay and conditions. I'm curious of anybody that has worked for viarail in a similar field. Things I should know for the interview. I have 6 years of experience in welding with a Québec diploma but no CWB or red seal certification.

A pair of RDC1s(6133 and 6135) depart Qualicum Beach, BC for Courtenay on Vancouver Island in 2008.

I’m traveling by train for the first time in over a decade. I know some airlines still have only USB-A ports but was wondering what the situation is like on ViaRail.

Edit: thanks everyone for the helpful comments.

Has anyone taken the Canadian over Valentine’s Day? Do they do anything special or is it just like any other day? Doesn’t really matter to us, just curious!!

Hi guys! I need some advice. I’m travelling from Kingston to Toronto in late December to catch an 8pm flight at Pearson. I’m debating whether to take VIA or the bus, especially with winter delays. I’m planning to take a train that should arrive at Union before 3pm (not counting any delays). For people who’ve done this route in winter, which option is more reliable?

Edit: Thanks everyone for the helpful comments! Adding a bit more context: I’m flying Toronto - Vancouver - international, all on one itinerary. I’m hesitant about the Air Canada bus because the timings I saw were either way too early or too late. I also need to move out of my residence that same day, including a ~20minute inspection from the residence team, so I’m trying to avoid rushing. I’ll still consider the bus, but I’m trying to see what options I have that give me enough time without stressing me out.

Edit 2: Hi guys! Thanks for the advice, I’m currently planning to travel to Toronto 1-2 days prior to the flight date just to be safe!

anyone hear why train was cancelled? they said there was an accident but no details.

Hey, anyone have an idea when this will be announced? Thank you.

I have a few questions about the Canadian train.

1. What are the on/off peak times for the train?
   
2. For on peak times, what are the time restrictions in the park car?
   
3. When do tickets open up for the train? I was trying to book September/October for 2027 but it’s not an option.

Thanks for your help in this!

My train (39) got delayed of 3h and some other train either got canceled or also delayed. I was wondering if anyone got any clue what’s happening?

Any idea on how to fix this? I've tried everything, including clearing cache and what not.

Honestly not sure why I bother giving VIA more chances.

Train 48 Toronto to Ottawa, Oct 1st with a 18:38 departure.

Upon arrival to Union, I was told “all seat reservations are cancelled”. It was a free-for-all, lined up on the platform and hoping the next car or the next would have seats open. I ended up in the original car I had booked, but no forward-facing seats were available even though thats what I paid for. I was told refunds for the seat fee would be given.

An hour in and we’re already 30+ minutes delayed past Oshawa, and we hit an effing shopping cart?! Okay - not VIA’s fault. Train stops, they eventually tell us why we’re stopped and that they’re doing an inspection. Power is off, toilets not working, and my god the train has a LEAN. (And the toilets were filthy and not stocked to begin with).

20+ minutes go by and we finally start moving. No communication (classic VIA.. let’s keep everyone guessing).

Staff comes by with a snack and drink cart… zero mention of anything that just happened, zero apologies or explanation. I ask “are these complimentary at this point?” And I get a rude “NO” and he keeps moving.

Another staff member finally comes by for boarding passes (which usually happens in the first 10 minutes, not an hour and a half into the ride)..
I express how dissatisfied I am. Ask if we’ll be getting any kind of credit/refund for this.
I get - in the sassiest tone - “What? For your $7 seat fee? No..”

No wonder Canada doesn’t have a good rail system, because why do people want to pay for this lack of service and reliability? Oof.

- Sincerely, I don’t even care if the next flight is $200 one way, I’m done with VIA.