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John | 1 Jul 2008 01:45
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GO Train service to Bowmanville

Nick Haste wrote:

"From what I read, GO have gotten some kind of special permission from
the government to speed up the Environmental Assessment. so it seems
that this actually might happen."

Somehow I think 2011 is still optimistic.

I moved to Bowmanville in 1992, hoping that GO Transit would make good
on their 1990 pledge. Sixteen years later we're back in the same place.

For the last several years I've been a regular VIA commuter from
Oshawa, which is more tolerable. Sadly GO Transit seems to think that
(still) underpowered 12-car trains on a basic hourly all stops service
outside peak hours is the way to go, rather than more frequent,
faster, shorter trains. 

Fed up with the lack of imagination I am now,
John Reay, ex-Bowmanvillian, Toronto and (at the weekends) Marmora, ON

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Eric Gagnon | 1 Jul 2008 02:03
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Re: Late 60 not turned at Montreal?

Can't be sure Terry, couldn't see around the staircase enclosure we 
had descended.  It could have been, and I was just surprised VIA1 car 
was on the tailend, normally it would be on the head-end.

Eric

--- In Canadian-Passenger-Rail@..., "Terry" 
<viahogger <at> ...> wrote:
>
> Just curious were those few cars left behind your train the baggage 
> car and engine off #60?
> 
> Terry
> 
> 
> --- In Canadian-Passenger-Rail@..., "Eric Gagnon" 
> <mile179kingston <at> > wrote:
> >
> > VIA No 69 looked like the consist of VIA No 60 had just been 
> > uncoupled and the seats turned, not turning the entire consist. 
> That 
> > would account for our assigned seats facing the wrong way.  The 
> last 
> > few cars were about 5-10 feet behind us in Central Station.  As 
> Terry 
> > mentions, it sounds like 69's power could bring some cars over 
from 
> > MMC with it, and double onto whatever portion of 60's consist 
he's 
> > taking to Toronto.  On the day we rode, there was an effort to
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Walter Pfefferle | 1 Jul 2008 02:56
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OS: VIA 75, 83 & 78

Off today so caught 75 as it blew through with Spiderman 6408 and 7 Budd coaches.

http://railfan.thegrebs.com/VIA/via6408a_010

VIA 83 showed up with 6426 as CN 393 was lifting in Ingersoll

http://railfan.thegrebs.com/VIA/via6426a_006

and 78 showed up late again with 914 and 4 LRC coaches. I caught it in fading light at Lihou 

http://railfan.thegrebs.com/VIA/via914a_013

Thanks for looking

Walter Pfefferle
Ingersoll Ontario
Web site http://geocities.com/railpast/
Latest VIA photos http://railfan.thegrebs.com/Railpast-Photos

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Jason Shron | 1 Jul 2008 06:31
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Re: VIA - quiet car, an idea whose time has come?

--- In Canadian-Passenger-Rail@..., "David" <flare40x <at> ...> wrote:
>
> Will,
> 
> It does seem a shame that VIA has not implemented a "quiet car" 
> policy.  It costs nothing to the carrier.  Most VIA day trains are at 
> least three cars long, so one of the two regular coaches could be a 
> designated quiet car.
> 
> The quiet car assures the comfort of travellers who seek to make their 
> journeys undisturbed by the inane racket of laptops, by being forced to 
> listen to one (often very loud) side of an irrevelant conversation, or 
> by having to put up with the results of other people's failed 
> parenting.  It makes the idea of being trapped in a room with 50 or so 
> strangers for five or six hours much more tolerable.
> 

I travel VIA regularly and I don't think there is a need.  For the most part, VIA's customers 
tend to be respectful of other passengers.  Based on my own experience, the general 
atmosphere is certainly a lot more hushed or subdued than on UK or commuter trains.  

Perhaps if VIA ridership grows exponentially due to the rising price of gas, there may be a 
need for a quiet car.  Until then, if the sound of other people bother you, there is always 
the inexpensive personal quiet car option: earplugs.

-Jason

PS a child making noise is a not a result of failed parenting. Making noise is what children 
do. You were a child once too, remember?
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Jon Calon | 1 Jul 2008 06:55
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Re: Re: VIA - quiet car, an idea whose time has come?


On 30-Jun-08, at 10:31 PM, Jason Shron wrote:

> PS a child making noise is a not a result of failed parenting.  
> Making noise is what children
> do. You were a child once too, remember?

Correct, however, I certainly recall my parents instilling a good  
sense of respect in me for others aboard the train and not running  
all over the place being a major disruption to everyone.

> PPS if you perceive train travel as "being trapped in a room with  
> 50 or so strangers for five
> or six hours," you should not be taking the train.

Or a long haul flight or a bus, or virtually any other public  
transportation, save of course for being cooped up in a roomette for  
the entire duration of a trans-con trip.

Jon

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28pfds | 1 Jul 2008 07:33
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Re: VIA - quiet car, an idea whose time has come?

Quiet cars are very difficult to manage from an inventory and "on-train
control" perspective. They may work well in countries where trains are
frequently full and consists are easily adjusted, but given VIA's current
circumstances, they would be difficult to work with.

Consider a train that is not busy; because you are selling a quiet car and a
regular car, you could be required to sell and staff an additional car (at
additional expense) because you have a few people who have booked into that
car while there is plenty of space in other cars.  On the other hand, what
happens on very busy trains when the only remaining seats are in quiet
cars?  VIA would be put in to the position of having to advise everyone
buying at the last minute that those are the only seats available, and that
they must travel quietly. If the passengers decline, do you force them to
"walk" and not buy tickets, meaning the train could go out with unsold
inventory?  If they do accept, but then decide not to follow the rules of
that car and make noise, VIA's Service Managers and attendants are put into
the position of having to police the situation.  What if the passenger in
the quiet car paid $59 from Toronto to Montreal and is demanding that the
family of four travelling on full fares worth several hundred dollars
"shuts-up"?  What about trains with seat assignment, with only a few seats
left, which could mean that a group of 3 or 4 is split between the quiet car
and the regular car?  Parft of the challenge involves having to handle
people who don't want to be in a quiet car but end up there.

There are also issues related to short platforms and general on-time
performance. In order to reduce station times, VIA attempts to load cars by
destination.  If you have a quiet car in the consist, this is no longer
possible.  And you cannot offer the service and then decide that due to
inventory constraints, bad-order cars, etc, you are going to change the
quiet car to a regular car. If you promise the service, you have to deliver,
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Canadian | 1 Jul 2008 09:15
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File - CanPassRail_Info.txt


CANADIAN-PASSENGER-RAIL GROUP INFORMATION:

Scope and Mandate:
    Canadian-Passenger-Rail (a.k.a. CanPassRail) is a place to discuss all aspects of past, present, and
future passenger trains and rail travel in Canada. This includes all national, regional, commuter, and
tourist rail carriers such as VIA Rail, the current and former passenger operations of CN and CP, Ontario
Northland, BC Rail, GO Transit, West Coast Express, and Rocky Mountaineer Railtours. Others not
mentioned here are of course welcome, so long as they are located in Canada.  The general rule is, "if it runs
on rails in Canada while carrying passengers, then it's 'on-topic.'"
    Discussions regarding freight movements unrelated to passenger rail should be posted elsewhere. We
suggest the Canadian-Rails, C-P-R, or C-N-R lists for these topics.

Messages:
    All posts should be signed with a real name and preferrably your location as well.
    Posts from new members will be moderated as well as those from individuals whom the moderators feel should
be moderated.
    Profanity, flaming, and personal attacks will not be tolerated.  Remember to edit replies including only
necessary portions of posts.  Also, if you subscribe in Digest mode, please remember to edit the Subject
header when replying to a post.  Please avoid cross posting to other lists unless necessary.
    Commercial advertisements are neither appropriate nor welcome, and will be dealt with by the moderators
at their discretion.  A common remedy is banishment from the group (especially if you just subscribed
twenty minutes ago).

Files & Photos:
    Files & photos may be uploaded to the CanPassRail Files area at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Canadian-Passenger-Rail/files or the Photos area at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Canadian-Passenger-Rail/photos.  There are several folders in
place where you can find files & photos related to Canadian Passenger Rail.  They are sorted in order to
avoid a jumbled mass of files which is difficult to navigate.
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Walter Pfefferle | 1 Jul 2008 14:14
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Industry Moncton-based firm makes bid in largest capital program of Via Rail's history

SAINT JOHN - Industrial Rail Services Inc. filed a more than $100-million bid with Ottawa Monday to
refurbish the entire Via Rail fleet that runs between Montreal and Toronto, says company president Dick Carpenter.

Full story here

http://nbbusinessjournal.canadaeast.com/front/article/341829

Walter Pfefferle
Ingersoll Ontario
Web site http://geocities.com/railpast/
Latest VIA photos http://railfan.thegrebs.com/VIA

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Robert Lubinski | 1 Jul 2008 15:14
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VIA #1 Consist, July 1, 2008

Happy Canada Day to everyone on the list!

VIA #1, as observed at Union Stn at 0805 EDT this morning.  Thanks to 
the friendly VIA staff at Union Stn for providing the numbers of the 
two cars that I couldn't read due to blocked sight lines.

6435
6444
6407
8615
8117
8129
8108
Skyline 8517
Brock Manor
Fraser Manor
Lorne Manor
Skyline 8500
Fairholme
Hunter Manor
Draper Manor
Abbot Manor
Chateau Dollard
Skyline 8515
Imperial
Osler Manor
Allan Manor
Bell Manor
Waterton Park
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Lloyd Leonard | 1 Jul 2008 16:44
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Re: VIA #1 Consist, July 1, 2008


thru Doncaster at 9:44 EDT

Lloyd Leonard

--- In Canadian-Passenger-Rail@..., "Robert Lubinski" 
<unknownfte <at> ...> wrote:
>
> Happy Canada Day to everyone on the list!
> 
> VIA #1, as observed at Union Stn at 0805 EDT this morning.  Thanks 
to 
> the friendly VIA staff at Union Stn for providing the numbers of 
the 
> two cars that I couldn't read due to blocked sight lines.
> 
> 6435
> 6444
> 6407
> 8615
> 8117
> 8129
> 8108
> Skyline 8517
> Brock Manor
> Fraser Manor
> Lorne Manor
> Skyline 8500
> Fairholme
> Hunter Manor
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Gmane