It’s pretty bad. There are countries where taking a train between cities is an experience akin to taking the bus between neighbourhoods. But we’ve made it more like the experience of flying, with baggage limitations, infrequent trains, expensive tickets, and dumb limitations on what you can bring onboard.
I long for the day I could go Ottawa-Toronto by simply swiping a card, walking onto the platform with my bag slung over my shoulder and my doggo on his leash in the other hand, and stepping onto the next train, and finding myself any seat which is available.
Instead there’s convoluted checks where I need to weigh my bag, put my dog in a crate, and buy my ticket a month in advance to get a reasonable price, and getting an assigned seat. Literally nothing about the logistics of train travel necessitates such a high friction experience.
I think your examples are some ways VIA Rail could get much, much better. At the same time, I’d agree with the article, the train isn’t as bad as it’s reputation. It’s still pretty bad, but driving into downtown Toronto or to YYZ is awful, so for me the train often wins.
There’s no reason the experience of taking a VIA train couldn’t be more like the experience of taking a GO train, anywhere in the QC-Windsor corridor. The only reason it isn’t is because our governments invest in road infrastructure instead of rail infrastructure.
It’s pretty bad. There are countries where taking a train between cities is an experience akin to taking the bus between neighbourhoods. But we’ve made it more like the experience of flying, with baggage limitations, infrequent trains, expensive tickets, and dumb limitations on what you can bring onboard.
I long for the day I could go Ottawa-Toronto by simply swiping a card, walking onto the platform with my bag slung over my shoulder and my doggo on his leash in the other hand, and stepping onto the next train, and finding myself any seat which is available.
Instead there’s convoluted checks where I need to weigh my bag, put my dog in a crate, and buy my ticket a month in advance to get a reasonable price, and getting an assigned seat. Literally nothing about the logistics of train travel necessitates such a high friction experience.
I think your examples are some ways VIA Rail could get much, much better. At the same time, I’d agree with the article, the train isn’t as bad as it’s reputation. It’s still pretty bad, but driving into downtown Toronto or to YYZ is awful, so for me the train often wins.
I think GO does more right, but it is regionally limited and infrequent.
Regional rail is quite a different service than intercity rail though. It’s like comparing intracity buses to coach buses.
I do think Via could take some hints from GO though, and in certain areas, there’s probably demand for something in between (like Ottawa to Montreal).
There’s no reason the experience of taking a VIA train couldn’t be more like the experience of taking a GO train, anywhere in the QC-Windsor corridor. The only reason it isn’t is because our governments invest in road infrastructure instead of rail infrastructure.