Ocean (train)

Ocean (train)
Ocean
Ocean (Passenger Train).jpg
Train #14, the Ocean, at Belmont, Nova Scotia on August 13, 2005.
Overview
Service type Inter-city rail
Status Operating
Locale Quebec, Canada
Current operator(s) Via Rail (1978–)
Former operator(s) IRC (1904–1918),
CN (1918–1978)
Route
Start Montreal, Quebec
End Halifax, Nova Scotia
Distance travelled 1,346 km (836 mi)
Service frequency 6 trains per week
Train number(s) 14, 15
On-board services
Class(es) Economy, sleeper, and sleeper touring class
Seating arrangements Reserved coach seat
Catering facilities Dining car
Technical
Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Track owner(s) CN (since 2008)
Route map
Legend
Distance Station
Head station
0 Montreal (Central Station)
Bridge over water
St. Lawrence River - Victoria Bridge
Station on track
7 km (4.3 mi) Saint-Lambert
Bridge over water
Richelieu River
Station on track
54 km (34 mi) Saint-Hyacinthe
Station on track
100 km (62 mi) Drummondville
Station on track
247 km (153 mi) Charny Bus to Quebec City (service began 1998)
Unknown BSicon "eBHF"
260 km (160 mi) Levis (service discontinued 1998)
Stop on track
311 km (193 mi) Montmagny
Station on track
371 km (231 mi) La Pocatière
Station on track
439 km (273 mi) Rivière-du-Loup
Stop on track
482 km (300 mi) Trois-Pistoles
Station on track
543 km (337 mi) Rimouski
Station on track
572 km (355 mi) Mont-Joli
Stop on track
619 km (385 mi) Sayabec
Station on track
643 km (400 mi) Amqui
Stop on track
665 km (413 mi) Causapscal
Station on track
722 km (449 mi) Matapédia
Junction to left
Montreal – Gaspé train to Gaspé
Unknown BSicon "eGRENZE+WBRÜCKE"
Restigouche R. - Quebec-New Brunswick border
Station on track
741 km (460 mi) Campbellton
Stop on track
772 km (480 mi) Charlo
Stop on track
797 km (495 mi) Jacquet River
Stop on track
825 km (513 mi) Petit Rocher
Station on track
842 km (523 mi) Bathurst
Station on track
913 km (567 mi) Miramichi
Bridge over water
Northwest Miramichi River
Bridge over water
Southwest Miramichi River
Stop on track
949 km (590 mi) Rogersville
Station on track
1,042 km (647 mi) Moncton
Station on track
1,103 km (685 mi) Sackville
Unrestricted border on track
New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border
Station on track
1,119 km (695 mi) Amherst
Stop on track
1,146 km (712 mi) Springhill Junction
Station on track
1,243 km (772 mi) Truro
End station
1,346 km (836 mi) Halifax

The Ocean is a Canadian passenger train operated by Via Rail between Montreal, Quebec and Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is currently the oldest continuously-operated named passenger train in North America. The Ocean's schedule takes approximately 21 hours, running overnight in both directions. Together with The Canadian and Via's corridor trains, the Ocean provides a transcontinental service.

Contents

Ocean Limited

Inaugurated by the Intercolonial Railway of Canada (IRC), the Ocean Limited was created to supplement the Maritime Express as a summer-only "limited stop" service beginning on July 3, 1904. In Halifax, it connected with the Dominion Atlantic Railway's luxury train, the Flying Bluenose.[1] During the immigration boom of the early 1900s, the Ocean Limited and other passenger trains on its route saw increased use as they provided key winter-time connections for both the Grand Trunk Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway in moving sponsored immigrants to lands in the Prairie provinces.

In 1918, the IRC was merged into the Canadian National Railways (CNR) and the Ocean Limited continued its operation much as before. During both the First and Second World Wars, the Ocean Limited provided important service to the port of Halifax.

Ocean

CNR changed its name to the bilingually appropriate Canadian National/Canadien National (CN) in 1960, however passenger trains and other company assets were slow to evolve. However by 1966, the Ocean Limited had been renamed to the Ocean/Océan, while maintaining the same schedule and train numbers.

During a landslide which affected the old IRC line near Rimouski, Quebec, in 1977, for six months CN diverted the Ocean onto another parallel line several hundred kilometres to the south, maintaining the same Halifax–Montreal schedule times.

In 1976, CN placed operation of all its passenger services under a new division using the marketing slogan "Via". In April 1978 this division was created as a separate Crown corporation named Via Rail Canada, taking with it all CN passenger trains and equipment. The new national passenger rail service did not begin to change train names and operations until 1979, following the October 1978 assumption of all CPR passenger trains and equipment.

The Ocean did not get renamed by Via and in fact became supplanted on the Halifax–Moncton portion of its route in 1985 by another Via train, the Atlantic (formerly the Atlantic Limited), which saw its eastern terminus extended to Halifax from Saint John. This train also assumed the train numbers and equipment of the defunct CN passenger train Scotian, which survived only into the first few years of the Via era.

Under Via, the Ocean underwent several changes in its operation:

  • (1979–1981) Daily operation (seven days a week) in both directions between Halifax-Montreal. Another Via train, the Atlantic also served these cities over a different route.
  • (1981–1985) Daily operation (seven days a week) in both directions, albeit as the only through train between Halifax-Montreal, following cancellation of the Atlantic.
  • (1985–1990) Daily operation (seven days a week) in both directions between Moncton and Montreal, following reinstatement of the Atlantic, which became the through train to Halifax. Passengers on the Ocean were forced to change trains at Moncton.
  • (1990–1994) Operation three days a week in both directions between Halifax and Montreal following Via budget cuts. The Atlantic also operated three days a week and equipment rotated on the two trains. Service between Moncton and Halifax and between Saint-Hyacinthe and Montreal, the only common portions of the two routes, was six days a week.
  • (1994–present) Daily operation (six days a week) in both directions between Halifax and Montreal. The second cancellation of the Atlantic resulted in increased operation on the route of the Ocean. CN sold its portion of the Ocean's route between Rivière-du-Loup, QC, and Moncton, NB, to a shortline operator which operated the section from Rivière-du-Loup to Campbellton as the Chemin de fer Matapédia et du Golfe and the section from Campbellton to Moncton as the New Brunswick East Coast Railway. CN re-acquired these portions on November 3, 2008, and, as a result, the Ocean now again operates solely on CN trackage.[2]
  • October 26, 1998, saw CN abandon its scenic route along the waterfront of Levis, Quebec, which served the combined railway station and ferry terminal. Via Rail was forced to relocate the Ocean stop for the Quebec City region to Charny, necessitating a reverse move in each direction.
  • (2006) The gradual phasing out of the restored stainless steel Budd cars was to have taken place, with all departures in both directions to have been operated in favor of the more modern European-built Renaissance equipment. However, Via has experienced occasional problems with this equipment and has had to press the Budd cars into service as needed. Work on upgrading the Renaissance fleet has resulted in the need to operate one Budd consist (with the two other consists Renaissance outfitted) during the winter season. This is taking place through the winter of 2010–2011, although it is unclear as to whether it will occur again in winter 2011–2012. A stainless steel Park Car is attached to the end of every train for passengers in Easterly Class during peak season.
Via Rail train 14, the eastbound Ocean, at Jacquet River, New Brunswick, with Renaissance equipment.

Route

The route taken by the Ocean runs through a very scenic portion of eastern Canada including the Island of Montreal and the city's skyline and suburbs, the lower St. Lawrence River valley, the Matapédia River valley, the south shore of Chaleur Bay and the forests of eastern New Brunswick, the Tantramar Marshes, the Cobequid Mountains and Wentworth Valley, the edge of Cobequid Bay and mixed farmland through central Nova Scotia to Halifax.

See also

  • Nightstar (train) the Alstom-built UK rolling stock that was converted to "Renaissance" cars for use on the Ocean

References

Douglas N.W. Smith, The Ocean Limited: A Centennial Tribute (2004)

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ocean — Océan (homonymie) Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ocean (homonymie) — Océan (homonymie) Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ocean (disambiguation) — An ocean is a major body of salt water. Ocean or similar may also refer to: Contents 1 Music 2 Media and entertainment 3 Radio stat …   Wikipedia

  • Océan (homonymie) — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Sur les autres projets Wikimedia : « Océan (homonymie) », sur le Wiktionnaire (dictionnaire universel) Océan est un nom commun ou un nom… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ocean Park Hong Kong — Main entrance of Ocean Park during its 30th anniversary Location Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan …   Wikipedia

  • Ocean Parkway (BMT Brighton Line) — Ocean Parkway New York City …   Wikipedia

  • Ocean City Life-Saving Station — General information Town or city Boardwalk at the Inlet Ocean City, Maryland Country United States Completed 1891[1] Th …   Wikipedia

  • Train no. 8050 Tsunami-Rail Disaster — Train No.8050 Tsunami Rail Disaster Details Date 26 December 2004 Location Peraliya, Hikkaduwa Country …   Wikipedia

  • Ocean colonization — is the theory and practice of permanent human settlement of oceans. Such settlements may float on the surface of the water, or be secured to the ocean floor, or exist in an intermediate position. One primary purpose of ocean colonization is the… …   Wikipedia

  • Ocean Beach, Rhyl — Ocean Beach Location Rhyl, Wales Website Owner Rhyl Amusements …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”