Trains.com Kent Johnson’s pick: VIA Rail Canada Ocean
Name of train: Ocean, Train No. 14
The route: Montréal, Quebéc to Halifax, Nova Scotia
Duration: ~22 hours (one night, one day), tri-weekly service
Waylaid by wet leaves on the rails, VIA Rail’s No. 14 eastbound Ocean arrives hours late into Moncton, N.B., Canada, on Oct. 19, 2023. I discovered time is of little importance while aboard my 2-day rolling tour of fall foliage between Montréal, Qué., and Halifax, N.S. Kent Johnson
THE ADVENTURE
As it was for so many travelers this year and last, post-pandemic surges, natural disasters, and infrastructure shortcomings all converged to delay, detour, and outright derail most of my plans for rail adventure.
By the time September 2023 arrived, I was d-o-n-e done coping with “overtourism” at yet another bucolic destination I wanted to enjoy… in solitude! As petty as it sounds, I was poised to exact vengeance on “revenge travel” itself.
So in a quick pivot from typical plans, my wife and I chose to forego our typical Midwestern trek into nature’s flora fireworks. Instead, we opted for an Eastern Seaboard train ride, where we’d enjoy the rail excursion just as much as the destination. Even in the wake of extreme weather events, our mid-October, leaf-peeping weekend aboard the Ocean, VIA Rail Canada’s overnight train to the Maritimes, managed to restore my penchant for rail travel!
Getting there…from here
Just as the Canadian Crown corporation name implies, VIA Rail Canada trains are confined to rails within Canada. Exceptions made if you consider a few Amtrak trains that traverse the U.S./Canada border to access Vancouver, British Columbia; Toronto, Ontario; and sometimes Montréal, Quebéc. All suitable subjects for forthcoming “Memorable Train Rides.” But for the purpose of this trek, these parameters of operation presented a slight impediment to reaching the Ocean’s western terminus in downtown Montréal … from, um, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.
Yes, flying can be direct and expedient. But no one would ever choose to fly when a suitably circuitous, 30-hour, multi-modal, overland safari (including a midnight border crossing in the depths of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel) is entirely possible from Milwaukee to Chicago (Amtrak No. 334 Hiawatha) to Detroit (Amtrak No. 352 Wolverine) to Windsor, Ontario (Elife car service) to Toronto (VIA Rail No. 70), and finally to Montréal (VIA Rail No. 64), right? As my nearest and dearest travel companion has learned, never ask how or when … simply celebrate every successful arrival or connection!
Station stop, journey start
Our safe arrival into Montréal was certainly welcomed. And so too was the immediate immersion into Canadian hospitality, distinctive European-influenced architecture, and the intoxicating swoon of the French language. At Gare Centrale (Montréal Central Station), our Sleeper Class accommodations aboard the Ocean provided us access to the VIA Rail Business Lounge. Although the lounge is designated as a respite for all Business and Sleeper Class patrons, its size and amenities were much too modest for the mass of humanity eagerly awaiting the 7 p.m. departure. A stroll amongst the station’s interior bistros and vendors would serve us well. Wisely, we both resisted temptation to partake, knowing that superb rail cuisine awaited us aboard the Ocean.
Thanks to the perk of early boarding, we were amongst the first summoned to gather our two universal carry-ons, descend the escalator from the dimly lit waiting areas, and advance along an even darker sub-level platform. No worries. We quickly located beacons of glowing hospitality posted at the threshold of every railcar. “Bonjour! Hello!” Without fail, VIA Rail Canada personnel gleefully directed us forward to our designated Renaissance Sleeping Car, No. 1430.
Renaissance fair thee well
If Canadian courtesy wasn’t enough, I was also enamored with the distinctive, European styling of the Renaissance fleet. I first encountered this repurposed fleet of British-built carriages (intended for overnight Channel Tunnel runs) on a memorable Trackside Adventure (Episode 35 | Navigating Northern Ontario) through Thunder Bay, Ontario. Noted for their compact dimensions, dowdy interior, and stiff-as-an-upper-lip ride, some travelers cite a preference for something sturdier, more spacious, and stylish (e.g., The 1950s-vintage Budd-built streamliners that VIA Rail often subs-in for this fleet).
From my perspective, however, the two-tone teal exterior paint scheme appropriately ties the train name to its seaboard destination of Halifax, Nova Scotia. And even if the interior appointments slant towards sterile, they’re no less effective in framing the natural surroundings outside the large (compared to Amfleet coaches) picture window in each cabin.
Aside from the aesthetics, our Renaissance Sleeping Car cabin for two (with shower) maintained all of the creature features one could want for one overnight, full-day stay. We entered the lockable cabin door using the unique plastic keycard, and easily located climate controls, room and task lighting, fixed coat hangers, a narrow clothing cabinet, auxiliary storage, and a dual, 110-volt electrical outlet.
The convertible bench seat, which may or may not be oriented in the direction of travel, was comparable to the cushioning, support (arm and head rests), and utility (integrated, flip-down tray table) commonly found in third row seating of a large SUV. There was even enough space to stow moderate-sized carry-on bags underneath. The back of the bench seat folded down to expose the base of the lower bunk, with the upper bunk extracting similarly from the top half of the wall. Each bunk was long enough to suit my 6-foot frame on a moderately firm mattress fitted with cotton sheets, a blanket, and a thick foam pillow.
This Renaissance cabin type also included an en suite bathroom, complete with toilet, sink, sit/stand shower, and blow dryer. Later, I confirmed that shower pressure remained high, hot water flowed continually, and fresh towels were packed inside a kit hung from the shower head. But tonight, there would be an evening feast to indulge a few cars back!
Enjoy a glimpse of the Ocean journey,
in the Trains.com Instagram video story, “VIA Ocean”
Meals on wheels with a view
The catered breakfast and lunch options we enjoyed amidst LRC fleet Business Class accommodations to Montréal only heightened the anticipation of another exceptional rail dining experience aboard VIA. Having secured an early dinner seating, we’d look to be amongst the first sampling a revised menu. We were promptly greeted and seated with fellow travelers in a cozy Renaissance Dining Car table for four.
After exchanging pleasantries, we scanned the dinner menu to find beef, fish, and pasta options all available. I couldn’t resist the opportunity for a comparison to Amtrak’s fabled Flat Iron Steak, so the Mushroom-glazed Beef Pot Roast paired with a Molson Canadian lager would be my meal selection. Different cuts of beef, but it was difficult to discount the quality of the Ocean’s re-heated and plated offering.
Throughout the Ocean journey, breakfast, lunch, and dinner selections proved to be a notch above VIA Rail’s Business Class offerings, though a tier below the meals cooked on board The Canadian, VIA Rail’s premiere long-haul train. However, we weren’t here just for the food!
Trees from the tracks
After dinner, we retired to our cabin, now reconfigured for much needed slumber. Sleep in the upper bunk was equal parts restful and required, given my ambitious goals for daytime hours aboard the Ocean. Awake and shower in time to enjoy a Breakfast Donair Frittata at dawn was the plan. Morning fog and clouds be damned, we’d still spend the duration of the day gazing upon the rural towns and natural beauty along the Lower St. Lawrence River, the Matapédia Valley, and then through New Brunswick.
Although no vantage from the train was flawed, the ideal seating for full panoramic views of fall foliage was found in the Renaissance “Lounge” Service Car. Oriented between sleepers and the dining car, the lounge offered Sleeping Class patrons little more than a dozen apartment-size seats in odd pairings and peculiar positions. With seats in this space at a premium, passengers welcomed others in and graciously shifted seats. Some even relocated into the adjacent space to stand at a bar-height table. Canadian courtesy aboard a Canadian train is to be expected.
What wasn’t expected in the lounge? This space, replete in retro-1990s décor, would be the lone location for a Wi-Fi Zone. Later, my revelation proved helpful in alerting our Halifax hotel to a significantly delayed arrival.
Slip slidin’ away
Aboard a long-distance passenger train, time is construct. Time to eat, sleep, gaze, and socialize all cycle at the pace of progress towards the destination. When a train slips from its posted schedule, so does the onboard cycle. While riding the Ocean, it was somewhere between clearing my cup of chowder and serving up the Bacon and Oka Tartiflette, that the dining car staff casually noted we were “running a bit behind schedule.” To a fed and happy passenger, the remark would remain inconsequential. But in earshot of a bona fide rail enthusiast (yours truly), they should have known a quiet inquisition would begin.
Delays due to slow orders issued along segment(s) of the Canadian National main line, perhaps compromised by the wind and/or rain of Hurricane Lee’s recent landfall, seemed logical. Truth be told, I secretly hoped that patrons fearing such slowdowns or those anticipating substandard scenery might be dissuaded from ticketing. Of course, none of my selfish desires or simple hypotheses would hold water.
As I later gathered from an unnamed crew member, it isn’t uncommon for both eastbound and westbound departures of the Ocean to be slowed by the very same elements passengers clamor to see from aboard … fall foliage! Specifically, wet leaves, which fell in abundance post-Lee, littered the rails of the region. As decomposition began, the amassed sludge piles deposited a slimy residue over the railhead and effectively prevented the steel wheels of 130-ton diesel locomotives from gaining proper adhesion. When compounded by a moderate grade, trains simply will not maintain full track speed. Even worse, some of the Ocean westbound departures reportedly stalled on the steepest grades, thus forcing crew into an inefficient, schedule-busting maneuvers to double the consist up and over.
After a quick search of Trains.com News Wire sources, it seems that similar scenarios have played out for railroad operations across the globe. Who knew that leaf-clearing trains are deployed in round-the-clock service every autumn in New York and New Jersey? Knowledge is fulfilling! And so too was the additional light meal service our protracted arrival (4 hours late) into Halifax conveniently afforded.
For this I rode to (and through) Canada
A simmering sunset at Sackville, New Brunswick, was quite a compliment to the stew, bread, and glass of Canadian red. But the most fitting, if not ironic, conclusion to our autumn escape wouldn’t occur until daylight had faded and the Ocean wound its way through the outskirts of the port city. Having made our way to the minuscule lounge, my wife and I found ourselves comfortably congregated amongst a spirited crowd of the remaining passengers destined for Halifax. Perish any thought of “overtourism” or urge to seek “solace” elsewhere. Together, we all celebrated the successful arrival!
INSIDER INSIGHTS:
- Pack light | One carry-on bag (36L/21.5in. or smaller if you hope to fit it under the bedroom bench seat), one backpack per person.
- Lounge Car limited seating | With barely a dozen seats in the space, expect to get cozy and politely encouraged to rotate out. Alternatively, eat slowly and linger in the dining car (large windows here too) at mealtimes … leave a generous gratuity.
- Eat a big lunch | No full dinner service is assured if eastbound train is delayed into Halifax.
- Plan ahead and pack patience | In peak season for fall foliage, Sleeper Class can be a tough score. En route, track conditions and wet leaf residue are legit and common reasons for a slower pace and delays.
- Get a room | The Westin Nova Scotian hotel, directly adjacent to the Halifax station, is an ideal location to overnight. No need to hire a late-night ride if the train is tardy. Rental cars are also available on premise.
