Railway Schedules out of Ottawa, Published 20 January 1960
Who was it that said that the trains are not doing well!
I
went to Montreal the other morning, just for the. day, and was sure I
would get a seat easily on the "down" train. Instead my seat had been
"double sold," and I was ousted. I managed to get the last un-sold seat
in the front parlor car.
Again in the evening, on the "up" train, I only just managed to get the last chair in my car.
I
had fallen for all this tall talk about there being only a few people
on the trains these days. It was the first time in years I had failed
to make a reservation or buy my ticket ahead of time. But both CPR 232
cast and 237 west were jammed. There were even line-ups for the small
diner.
Both trains are fast, particularly the morning which goes
from Ottawa to Montreal in two hours flat, non-stop. They leave at
suitable times and. their return is ditto.
So I say that if both
railways follow up this policy of two-hour, non-stop trains, with
suitable times of arrival and departure, they will get the passenger
business. I know that you had to fight your way through the Union Depot
concourse, because of the crowd waiting to get on the CNR's Super
Continental last Saturday afternoon.
Who wants to drive to
Montreal in bad weather, find a place to park in that teeming city,
then drive back, dog tired? Let. the engineer do the work; that's what
he's paid for.
Good schedules can rejuvenate passenger travel on both railways.
Apropos of slow trains, they still run the afternoon train to Toronto somewhat slower than 30 years ago.
I
am told, and I think it is true, that the Canadian National can run to
Toronto over its line through Smiths Falls and Harrowsmith via Napanee
in four and a half hours. If such a pool train needs the CPR's
co-operation, surely the Crump system would gladly join in this swifter
pool schedule. Right now, the CPR and CNR both do a slow and none too
efficient a job at Brockville where the trains change railways.
So
let's get into the 1960's, out of the 1920's, and steer a steam
mentality into deisel (sic) thinking. milk train schedules should be
shoved into history.
'Cross Town - Ottawa Toronto Service, Published 26 February 1960
A.
Roy Montgomery, 81 Kenilworth Avenue, writes in to chide me for writing
something I never did write. I am accused of claiming in print that the
Canadian National passenger train to Toronto, via Harrowsmith, did the
trip in four and a half hours. I never said that. I did say - and I
repeat it - such a train could now do it via CNR through Harrowsmith
and Napanee in 4½ hours.
Ditto the Canadian Pacific via Smiths Falls and Trenton.
Though
the opponents of this fastest and shortest rail route to Toronto from
Ottawa drone on about an indifferent track, Roy Montgomery, who lived
in Richmond for years, insists "the road bed is second to none; best in
Canada".
No doubt this Diesel Power Limited could do it in 4½
hours and thus beat the plane, from the Chateau Laurier to the Royal
York. And without the two changes from limousine to plane and back to
limousine again.
Let's' hope these boss railroaders, whose
minds are back with the mastodons, get into the twentieth century with
the rest of us. |
