TRAIN STATIONS ALONG THE
WAY
The stations of Via Rail Canada are legendary and
beautiful in many ways. Here we have attempted to
show you some of our favourites but we cannot really
capture just how spectacular these places are.
Montreal's
Central Station is a gorgeous place built at a time
when Montreal was the largest city in Canada and
Canadian National (CN) Rail still has its headquarters
there. One block away in Place Ville Marie, Montreal's
most recognized landmark, is the headquarters of
Via Rail Canada.
Canadian National Railways and Canadian Pacific
(CP) Railways have concentrated on cargo service
ever since the creation of Via Rail Canada in the
1970s for the continuation of passenger rail service.
The main run of their train 001 - The Canadian -
runs on CN tracks, including the passage through
the Rockies at Yellowhead Pass.
Central
Station in Montreal is lovingly adorned with a mural
on each side showing Canada's National Anthem in
English and French along with artistic interpretations
depicting the lyrics. The main hall is grand and
the tracks run below the main floor.
In Winnipeg and Toronto, their stations have the
tracks running above the concourse. While the concourse
in Toronto is uninspiring, the lobby and outer building
of Toronto's Union Station are something to behold.
Winnipeg's
Union Station features a museum and photo gallery
and there are rail cars on display outside. Winnipeg
is the home of Canada's commodities exchange where
the prices for agricultural products are set.
Vancouver's
Pacific Central station is located just east of
the downtown core overlooking a terrific park. The
name of the station is written in letters reminiscent
of the Canadian Northern Railway (a predecessor
to Canadian National). The building is grand, its
rotunda magnificent, and the clock in the centre
of the station is a virtual landmark. The trains
back in to this station as the tracks and platform
are just out back.
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