Eastern Canada’s VIA Rail network has declined significantly over the last 40 years, reflecting
the reduction of passenger rail in the region. Since the takeover of passenger services from
Canadian National and Canadian Pacific in 1978, the network has been reduced dramatically,
with only a single route remaining. Connecting various smaller towns and outlying communities
with regional centres, this network was a crucial lifeline for Eastern Canada, and faced
declines due to government cutbacks and railway track abandonments. But how did the network
change from the daily routes of 1978 to the single line that remains today? I’m Zach
with Vanishing Underground, and lets take a look.
VIA service in Eastern Canada began in April 1978, when VIA took over Canadian National’s
passenger trains, forming the original network of service in Eastern Canada. This consisted
of a twice daily train running between Montreal Quebec and Halifax Nova Scotia, servicing
stops in Levis Quebec and other smaller towns. A once daily train also ran between Montreal
Quebec and Gaspé Quebec, servicing many of the same stops. Once daily services also ran between
Quebec City and Edmundston New Brunswick, as well as between Edmundston and Moncton New Brunswick.
A twice daily train in New Brunswick also linked the provinces two biggest cities of
Moncton and Saint John. In Nova Scotia, twice daily services ran from Halifax to Sydney,
servicing intermediate stops in various small towns.
In October 1978, VIA acquired additional services from Canadian Pacific. These included a new
route in Nova Scotia between Halifax and Yarmouth, as well as services between Montreal Quebec
and Saint John New Brunswick, running through Sherbrooke Quebec and the US State of Maine.
VIA began making changes to the CN and CP networks in 1979, discontinuing daily service
between Edmundston New Brunswick and Quebec City in July. In October, more major changes were made,
streamlining services and changing trains to operate on tracks owned by both companies.
In southern Quebec, trains between Saint John and Montreal through Sherbrooke were revised,
with VIA trains no longer servicing Magog, Farnham, and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. These
trains were rerouted to travel through Saint-Hyacinthe, as well as being extended from Saint
John to Halifax Nova Scotia. Trains running between Gaspé and Montreal Quebec were cut back to Matapédia,
while service between Montreal and Mont-Joli was replaced by a separate service. Trains between
Montreal and Halifax running through Levis Quebec was reduced to once daily, with a second train
added between Moncton and Campbellton New Brunswick to maintain service levels. Trains between
Saint John and Moncton were reduced to once daily, and extended to Halifax at the same time.
In June 1980, frequency on trains running
between Halifax and Kentville Nova Scotia were reduced to a single daily trip, which
ran the length of the line to Yarmouth. 1981 saw the first round of budget cuts for
VIA, with a 20% cut in service affecting various routes. In November, daily service in New
Brunswick between Moncton and Edmundston was discontinued. At the same time, service between
Halifax and Montreal running through the United States and Sherbrooke Quebec was cancelled.
In its place however, daily service running between Halifax and Saint John New Brunswick was
extended to Fredericton, bringing passenger rail service to the provincial capital.
In May 1983, service in Quebec was further revised. The train running between Montreal
and Mont-Joli was discontinued, being replaced once again by the Gaspé to Matapédia train
being extended back to Montreal. June 1984 saw service change in Nova Scotia,
with one of the two daily trips between Sydney and Halifax being cut back to Port Hawkesbury.
In October of that year, service in New Brunswick between Moncton and Edmundston was also restarted,
running three times per week. 1985 saw further service restorations, with
various changes taking place in June. Trains between Montreal and Halifax running through
the United States and Sherbrooke Quebec were restarted on a once daily frequency. With
this change, trains between Montreal and Halifax through Levis Quebec were cut back to Moncton,
with passengers travelling to Halifax being required to transfer. Also in June, service
was introduced between Quebec City and Mont-Joli on a daily frequency. In New Brunswick, service
between Fredericton and Halifax was also once again cut back to Saint John in September
of that year, maintaining its once daily frequency. In October 1986, service between Halifax and
Saint John was split in Moncton, with services between Moncton and Halifax reduced to six
days a week. However, this arrangement was further revised in November 1987, with daily
through service between Halifax and Saint John resuming only in the eastbound direction.
A small change was made in Nova Scotia in April 1989, with train service between Halifax
and Port Hawkesbury being reduced to once daily, in line with the rest of the route.
January 1990 saw a 50% cut in VIA passenger service, which decimated many of the remaining
routes in eastern Canada. In Nova Scotia, service between Halifax and Yarmouth as well
as Halifax and Sydney was completely cancelled, removing train service from Digby, Kentville,
and Port Hawkesbury. New Brunswick saw train service to Edmundston cancelled, as well as
regional trains between Campbellton and Moncton, as well as Saint John and Halifax removed.
Quebec saw the cancellation of trains between Quebec City and Mont-Joli.
The three remaining lines saw their frequencies reduced to run only three days per week. However,
lines were scheduled to provide alternating service six days per week between Halifax
and Moncton, as well as Matapédia and Montreal. At the end of 1994, service between Montreal
and Halifax through the United States and Sherbrooke Quebec was discontinued, due to
the track owners applying to abandon the route. In its place however, service on the Montreal
to Halifax train through Levis was boosted to run six days per week, maintaining service
frequency between these two points. The following year in 1995, trains running between Montreal
and Gaspé were changed to join with Halifax to Montreal trains in Matapédia.
VIA introduced a once weekly tourist train running in Nova Scotia in 2000. Running between
Halifax and Sydney, the line was advertised as a rail cruise, completing the journey to
Sydney on Tuesdays, and returning to Halifax on Wednesdays during the summer and fall.
This train was in operation until 2004, when it was discontinued.
Another round of budget cuts occurred in 2012, reducing service between Montreal and Halifax
to three days per week. The following year, track conditions forced VIA to end trains
between Gaspé and Montreal, leaving only one route operating in Eastern Canada. Finally
in 2014, Halifax to Montreal trains were changed to operate into the Quebec City area, no longer
servicing the station in Levis. This brings us to the VIA rail map of Eastern Canada that
we know today. Thanks for watching! We hope you enjoyed this
video, and learned something new about how the VIA rail network in Eastern Canada came
to be. If you have any questions or we got anything wrong, please leave us a comment
down below. You can also check out our videos on the complete evolution of the VIA Rail
network by clicking on the button in the top right corner of this video. As always, feel
free to leave a like if you want to see more, and as for us here, we’ll be Vanishing Underground,
until the next one.