Via Rail is rolling out refurbished business class cars on its high volume routes in southern Ontario and Quebec.
I rode on one by chance on a trip between Toronto and Montréal.
It is a praiseworthy overhaul. And something we can aspire to if passenger train service ever returns to the Island's E&N line.
The new cars have three across seating instead of four across, for a total of 44 seats instead of the 56 in the previous design.
One side of the aisle has two seats, the other has one.
Seats are not much wider. Instead, space is taken up by a low table that sits at seat-pan height between the double seats, and on the wall side of the single seats.
With the low tables, you are not trapped by the flip down meal tray if you are nursing a drink or having a snack.
On my trip, the little table made a big difference to comfort. I didn’t have to wait for the attendant to clear things away before flipping the meal tray up and going for a wander. If I had a laptop, I could have left it on the meal tray while a drink sat on the table.
If you find yourself needing to travel between major centres in Ontario and Quebec, Via’s business class is worth considering if you are in the mood to pamper yourself. With luck, you'll end up on one of the refurbished business class cars, instead of the old drab ones.
Alcoholic drinks are offered for no extra charge. (A gentleman behind us took up the offer several times, and became happier and happier as the trip progressed.)
You get a hot lemon-scented cloth towel to freshen up. At lunch, a generous-sized meal is served on an airline-style tray that has a salad, a bun, the main, thin-sliced hard bread product with nuts and dry fruit, and fudge. There are also chocolates, cookies, and salty snacks. It would all add up to, I am guessing, a $30 value in a restaurant.
The meal was good; the salmon I had was better than I expected; it was moist and tasted like salmon should.
A typical book-in-advance price for a one-way business class ticket between Toronto and Montréal is $101, tax included. Standard class one way is $71. Discount offers can drop standard to around $45 on some trips.
The journey takes about five hours from downtown to downtown, with the train going 155 km/h on some stretches. That time compares favourably with flying, where you have to factor in getting to the airport, clearing security, and getting from the airport to downtown. The train’s disadvantage is fewer departures than the airlines.
Here are photos of the new Via business class car in a Flickr photostream.
- - -
- - -
Most popular posts:
How to pronounce Ucluelet, Tsawwassen, and that outdoor gear place
How I like to make popcorn (cautiously) on a stovetop
Vancouver to Toronto by train: we are hours late and we shrug
