Québec City–Windsor Corridor (Via Rail)

The Corridor (French: Ligne de Québec à Windsor) is a Via Rail passenger train service area in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario.

The Corridor
A Via Rail train approaching Belleville station
Overview
Owner	Canadian National Canadian Pacific Via Rail Metrolinx
Locale	Quebec City–Windsor Corridor
Termini	Windsor, Sarnia, Niagara Falls, Quebec City
Stations	Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Kingston, Guelph, Kitchener, London
Website	Via Rail - Ontario and Québec
Service
Type	Inter-city rail
System	Via Rail
Operator(s)	Via Rail
Ridership	4,782,493 (FY 2019)[1]
History
Opened	1856
Technical
Number of tracks	2+
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	No
Operating speed	Up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
Route map

Description

Corridor is used by Via to refer to all Via inter-city passenger trains which start and end within the geographic region known as the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. Other inter-city trains from outside the Corridor may have their terminus at stations in the Corridor, such as the Canadian and the Ocean, but are marketed by their respective train names and are not considered to be Corridor services.

The Corridor service area has the heaviest passenger train frequency in Canada, with 36 Via trains traversing the route daily.[2] About 67% of Via's revenue comes from Corridor routes.

Via runs a mix of local-service and express trains in the Corridor. Most of the trackage is owned by the Canadian National Railway (CN Rail), although Via also owns three former freight lines, one from Smiths Falls, Ontario to Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec via Ottawa; one from Chatham, Ontario to Tecumseh, Ontario; and one from Smiths Falls to Brockville, Ontario.[3][4]

Prior to Via's formation in 1978, CN Rail operated its passenger trains, branded Rapido, on the same tracks and CP Rail also offered limited service.

All trains are identified by number; however, prior to 2009 these trains were named as well.

High speed proposal

During the 1970s and early 1980s, CN and later Via Rail operated the Turbo Train on existing freight rail trackage. This equipment was later replaced by the Bombardier LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) train sets. Beginning in the 1980s and through the 1990s, Via Rail, Bombardier and the provincial and federal governments studied the feasibility of establishing a dedicated high-speed passenger rail network linking Quebec City–Montreal–Ottawa–Toronto–Windsor similar to the French TGV as a means of reducing domestic air and highway travel between these destinations.

After a hiatus of ten years, a feasibility study on launching a high-speed rail service in the Corridor will be updated at the joint cost of the federal government, Ontario and Quebec.[5] On November 14, 2011, the three governments officially released the final report of a high-speed rail study for this corridor.[6]

Improvements

In 2009–2010, Via used C$300 million of government stimulus money to upgrade segments of the Corridor. Notable track improvements planned were an additional 70 km (43 mi) of third main track in four segments, and a short segment of fourth main track, as well as additional yard tracks at three locations. Improvements were made to several stations along the line, with new station buildings being constructed at Belleville and Cobourg, and additional platforms for existing stations at Brockville and Oshawa. The improvements were planned to reduce delays along the route and to allow for a reduction in travel time of up to 30 minutes from end to end. They were intended to allow Via to introduce two new round-trip trains from Toronto to both Montreal and Ottawa without requiring the acquisition of new equipment.[2]

Primary inter-city routes

The Corridor
km km International (discontinued) to Chicago Windsor 359 290 Sarnia 000 000 Chatham 290 268 Wyoming Glencoe 235 227 Strathroy 216 195 London 000 000 000 000 Ingersoll 185 160 St. Marys Woodstock 171 143 Stratford Brantford 128 101 Kitchener Niagara Falls 132 000 Bayview Junction 059 079 Guelph Grimsby 089 56 Aldershot St. Catharines 113 050 Georgetown Niagara Falls 132 34 Brampton Niagara River 133 34 Oakville Maple Leaf to New York City 2 Bathurst Street 000 0 Toronto 000 000 000 021 Guildwood 51 Oshawa 101 Port Hope 113 Cobourg 163 Trenton Junction 182 Belleville 217 Napanee 254 Kingston 000 000 000 290 Gananoque 335 Brockville 380 Smiths Falls 430 Fallowfield Cornwall 428 446 Ottawa 000 000 Ontario Quebec 000 493 Casselman 533 Alexandria Ontario Quebec 475 569   Coteau Junction 476 Coteau Ottawa River West Channel East Channel 520 Dorval MontrealLucien-L'Allier (proposed) 539 Montreal 000 000 000 000 St. Lawrence River 545 Saint-Lambert Richelieu River 592 Saint-Hyacinthe 639 Drummondville 785 Charny Saint Lawrence River 790 Sainte-Foy 811 Quebec City km

The Maple Leaf, a through service from Toronto to New York City, operated jointly with Amtrak, is crewed by Via as trains 97 and 98 on VIA schedules, between Toronto and Niagara Falls, and can be considered part of Corridor services as well. It is the only scheduled rail service from the Corridor line at Burlington to Niagara Falls.

Commuter rail

A GO Transit train on the main line in Toronto's west end

Two commuter rail agencies, provincially funded and independent of Via, share tracks with Via's Corridor trains.

• The GO Transit Kitchener line shares tracks with Via trains for its entire route from Toronto Union Station to Kitchener Station.
• The GO Transit Lakeshore West line shares tracks with Via trains from Toronto Union Station to Bayview junction, just west of Aldershot Station. The Lakeshore West line Niagara Branch shares tracks with Via trains for its entire route from Toronto Union Station to Niagara Falls.
• The GO Transit Lakeshore East line shares tracks with Via trains from Toronto Union Station to Durham Junction, just west of Pickering Station. Between Pickering and Oshawa, GO trains use a separate parallel line immediately north of the CN/Via tracks.
• The RTM Mont-Saint-Hilaire line shares tracks with Via trains for its entire route from Montreal Central Station to Mont-Saint-Hilaire.
• The RTM Vaudreuil-Hudson line operates in the same corridor as Via trains from Dorion to Lachine, but does not share tracks with Via trains. RTM trains operate on CP tracks, while Via trains operate on parallel CN tracks.

See also

• High-speed rail in Canada
• Maple Leaf (Amtrak)
• Northeast Corridor
• Quebec City–Windsor Corridor

References

1. "Annual Report 2019" (PDF). viarail.ca. Via Rail Canada. p. 9. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
2. Warwick, Peter (December 2009). "Via's bold Corridor plan". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing.
3. "Decision No. 446-R-2008". Canadian Transportation Agency. August 29, 2008.
4. "VIA Rail Expands its Rail Network by Acquiring the Brockville Subdivision". VIA Rail Canada Inc. November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
5. Greenaway, Norma (January 10, 2008). "Ontario-Quebec to study rapid rail link". National Post.
6. "High-Speed Passenger Rail Study Released". Retrieved May 20, 2017.

External links

• Via Rail temporary train schedule with changes due to Covid 19 (Effective 31 March 2020)