A Trip on VIA Rail’s ‘Ocean’ (Montreal, QC – Halifax, NS via Edmundston, NB)

(Scroll down for images)

The ‘Ocean’ is Canada’s longest-lived named train, inaugurated July 3 1904 & running on the same route for over a century. It’s original name was ‘The Ocean Limited‘ to reflect its status as a fast, limited-stop express train & it operated over the tracks of the former Intercolonial Railway, later Canadian National (CN), on its route from Montreal to the Maritimes.

The Ocean was completely re-equipped in 2003 by VIA Rail with modern ‘Renaissance’ lounge, dining, coach & sleeping cars (with bedrooms). In addition, the train also carries a stainless steel ‘Park’-series dome-sleeper-lounge-observation car on the end of the train during the peak travel season. Prior to the re-equipping, the train consist was made up of ex-Canadian Pacific stainless steel cars, including dome cars. Power consists of VIA F40PH-2 diesel locomotives.

The route of the Ocean is a pretty one, with the train leaving the skyline of Montreal behind as it crosses the St. Lawrence River, passing Mt. St. Hilaire in Quebec & travelling through the beautiful Matapedia river valley. On this trip the train detoured from its normal route through Campbellton, NB, running instead over the freight-only CN line through Chipman, NB, before rejoining the normal route at Moncton, and continuing through the Wentworth valley, on to Truro, NS, and past the Bedford Basin into the Atlantic port of Halifax. The Westin Nova Scotian is conveniently located adjacent to Halifax Union Station and is in walking distance to the boardwalk and ferry to Dartmouth.

Fine scenery, fantastic dining, superb accommodations & down-east hospitality are sure to delight on VIA Rail’s Ocean.

1 ON THE EASTBOUND OCEAN PASSING CN STATION AT CHIPMAN, NB
2 MEET WITH CN FREIGHT EAST OF CHIPMAN, LEAD BY SD40-2 #6012
3 SNOWSHOE HARE (JUST RIGHT OF CENTRE IN PHOTO)
4 CROSSING A GIRDER BRIDGE EAST OF SACKVILLE
5 VIA STATION AMHERST, NS
6 MOUNTAINS EAST OF AMHERST
7 HOUSE ON LAKE EAST OF AMHERST
8 MURAL AT TRURO VIA STATION
9 MURAL AT TRURO VIA STATION
10 FARM ON HILL EAST OF TRURO
11 HOUSE ON ISLAND IN BEDFORD BASIN
12 SUSPENSION BRIDGE OVER HALIFAX HARBOUR
13 THE OCEAN AT HALIFAX UNION STATION, VIA F40PH-2 #6437 ON THE POINT
14 AERIAL VIEW OF OCEAN AT HALIFAX UNION STATION FROM HOTEL
15 WESTIN NOVA SCOTIAN HOTEL & HALIFAX UNION STATION
16 LOGGING OPERATION WEST OF HALIFAX, AS SEEN FROM WESTBOUND OCEAN
17 THE OCEAN ROLLS THROUGH A CUT WEST OF TRURO
18 SKI HILL WEST OF TRURO
19 CHUNKS OF ICE BY RIVER WEST OF TRURO
20 UPPER & LOWER BERTHS IN A VIA SLEEPING CAR
21 CARS AT LEVEL CROSSING, DRUMMONDVILLE, QC
22 MOUNT ST. HILAIRE
23 CROSSING ST. LAWRENCE RIVER INTO MONTREAL

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