Although the cars employ new technology such as dimmable tinted upstairs glass, European-type air-spring trucks, and many behind-the-scenes improvements apparent only to car hosts and mechanical staff, they were purposely designed to mimic the 16 GoldLeaf domes constructed by Colorado Railcar between 1995 and 2007 before the carbuilder exited the business.
Up to four Stadler vehicles are expected to join Rocky Mountaineer excursions for the 2019 season. Trains toured the first to arrive, No. 9541, in October 2018; the other three are Nos. 9543, 9545, and 9547.
April 15 is the initial departure from Vancouver on the “First Passage to the West” route to Lake Louise and Banff, Alberta. (The train continues on to Calgary without passengers to be serviced for the return trip the next morning). On April 16, the first “Journey Through the Clouds” trip leaves Vancouver for Jasper. Both itineraries are two-day journeys with an overnight stop at Kamloops.
Exact 2019 departure dates are listed on page 96 of the Rocky Mountaineer 2019 brochure.
The new self-drive package options offer overnight accommodations outside of touristy Jasper and Banff, whose limited upscale hotel capacity have effectively restricted the number of passengers the train can handle since stays are required on the same night for both arriving guests and those departing the next morning.
Extended through the end of February to encourage sampling of the new offerings, the company has been promoting a $240 “Classic Journey Offer” discount in GoldLeaf service and up to $400 per couple in additional hotel nights and other perks for travelers taking advantage of the self-drive “Stay and Play” packages,
Respect to Rocky Mountaineer! I would like to see service extended over Canadian Pacific rails to Calgary and Winnepeg. The prairie is also a part of Canadian beauty at it very best indeed!
The U.S. desperatety needs an operator such as Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer or Austrailia’s Great Southern Rail to run America’s long distance trains. NOT running them like cruise trains you understand, but it must be taken into consideration that these companies possess the professional know-how to properly restore the American passenger train to the point of making them worth taking again, not only for American citizens but tourists as well. This includes economical coach fares, first class sleeping accommodations, and dining cars serving meals fit for royality!
Item: Special reduced fares when offered to Families travelling with small children; Veterans (A MUST!), The Handicapped, as well as active AARP members, should be made tax deductable.
Won’t work you say? What happened to the American Dream and Way of Life? It didn’t die but is only resting. Time to bring it back to life again! Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and the rest of the wealthy, do you hear me? For a change, put a % of the money you’ve made off of hard working Honest Tax Paying men and women and do something humane for your country and the people who’ve enabled you to live on Easy Street all these years!
73
Richard is right on about the potential. The limitation is the height of the trainshed in Chicago and overhead clearances at Washington Union Station. Perhaps their are other clearance issues as well.
Two obvious trains to start with: Auto Train and the Sunset Limited (which needs to be expanded to daily service with a direct overnight section between El Paso and Fort Worth-Dallas and onwards to Shreveport, Baton Rouge to New Orleans.
If Amtrak went with this concept to replace the Superliners, they would greatly increase efficiency. It would be like stacking two Viewliner sleepers or two coaches on top of one another. There could be pass-throughs on both levels. Consists could be shorter and maybe single engines on most trains would also help the bottom line.
Some quick calculations:
Sleeper: Superliner – 21 rooms/42 pax – Ultradome – 28 rooms/56 pax (losing 2 roomettes for stairs)
Coaches: Superliner – 74 seats – Ultradome – 100 seats (losing 6 pairs for toilets/showers)
Just some food for thought.
Ms. Harding: I fully agree. I have no desire to ride over the Canadian National line. Canadian Pacific is “Oh Canada!” at it’s very best indeed!
Mister Pins:
I wish that someone – anyone – put back in the rail service between Vancouver and Calgary. Vancouver to Winnipeg via Calgary would be even better.
The above comments are general in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Find your own damn lawyer.
I presume that Rocky Mountaineer has negotiated access contracts directly with CN and CP, with no VIA coattails necessary. Compare with the US situation, where special trains and moves were not possible without running under the Amtrak banner, for liability and probably other reasons. Thus it seems inconceivable that, say, New River Train sponsors would go directly to CSX and make a deal to run their train. Is the Canadian water different?