Five-Hour Toronto Train Is What Ottawa Needs, Published 21 September 1956
‘What Ottawa needs is a five-hour train to Toronto. Though President
Donald Gordon persists in doubting that it can be done, the hard fact is that
more than 20 years ago, the Canadian National all but did it in five
hours. That was before pooling.
‘In the halcyon days of Sir Henry Thornton
and Sir Edward Beatty, the CNR used to run swiftly to Napanee, couple up with
the Montreal section, then move serenely on to Toronto. We do the same
stunt now but we have the more awkward two-railway deal at Brockville.
‘One of the worst features of the present pooling
system is that the day parlor cars are old, the night sleepers almost as
ancient. I will say that the CNR have done a lot to titivate their parlor
cars while the Canadian Pacific’s 6600 class chairs cars are dull enough.
‘With a five-hour schedule, the CNR can even make
it with a light engine and without diesel to Napanee. From here to the
junction point at Napanee could be a real, non-stop speedway (with flag at
Smiths Falls).
‘As things now are, the morning local runs in on milk
train schedule, stops at Hull, Hull West, Ottawa West and Westboro, all in the
city limits, you might say. It is a slow affair, and misses the fast train
to Toronto (Lake Shore Express).
‘Ottawa deserves a better service to Toronto than
the present 6.15 hour time, which is not as good as they were doing 25 years
ago. Time brings Sudbury and Montreal closer to Ottawa, but keeps shoving
Toronto farther and farther away. We are worse off now than in 1933.
‘Let Donald Gordon put on a train leaving here,
say at 5 p.m., and arriving in Toronto at 10 p.m. The CPR nightside pool
trains could speed up the slow service via Trenton and perk up the Peterboro
night local. (Also cut that 50-minute wait at Smiths Falls on CPR No.
23). For a quarter century now, the night trains have been dull and slow,
with old equipment and no eating facilities.
‘No wonder the railways are driving the business
to the planes. But first, let’s have that five-hour train. |