The Canadian rail network is extensive and some routes offer spectacular scenery. Nonetheless, since most of the system is dedicated to freight transportation and the majority of Canadians prefer to travel long distances by plane or car, trains outside the cities of the eastern corridor, Montreal and Toronto, are used much less in comparison with countries in Europe or Asia.
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It hasn’t always been this way. The number of passengers on Canadian trains peaked at 60 million per year during the 1940s, but sharply declined during the 1950s with the widespread use of cars. Nowadays, about 5 million passengers per year ride 500 weekly trains (not including commuter trains) run by the state-owned Via Rail. Other private companies offer more luxurious journeys, such as the legendary Rocky Mountaineer, a true five-star hotel on wheels.
Although the service quality of Canada’s rail network is generally high, particularly for the sleeper and business classes, Canadian trains are slow compared to French TGVs or Japanese bullet trains. Forced to accommodate the demands of freight transportation, which constitutes most of Canada’s rail traffic, passenger trains can end up waiting for long time periods and frequently arrive late.
The intercity high-speed trains that travel between Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto, which speed along the eastern corridor route in just over five hours, are an exception.
Via Rail manages most of the rail network, with a small number of private firms running special lines, mainly for tourism. The U.S. company Amtrak also manages several services that cross the international border into Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.
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