#ViaRail

[madamemuller]

Day 38 - Museum of Immigration in Halifax

Im Hafengelände von Halifax befindet sich das Museum of Immigration. Das ist für heute mein Plan. Vier Stunden werde ich hier immerhin verbringen.

Ich beginne mit einer kostenlosen Führung. Diese starten zu jeder vollen Stunde, auf englisch und französisch, und dauern etwa 30 Minuten. Lorraine, die Museumsführerin, nimmt uns mit auf eine Zeitreise und durch die verschiedenen administrativen, berührenden, schwierigen Etappen eines Einwanderers, der z.B. im 20. Jahrhundert in Halifax ankommt. Eine wirklich exzellente Führung! Die Tour schließt mit einem 10-minütigen Film, für den Menschen ganz unterschiedlicher Herkunft interviewt wurden. Das Museum vermittelt eindrucksvoll, wie aus Kanada dieses kulturelle Mosaik entstanden ist, in dem jede:r, egal welcher Herkunft, Sprache, Glaubensvorstellung, Genderidentität oder Kultur, ein Recht auf persönliche Freiheit und Entfaltung haben soll.

Anschließend erkunde ich das Museum noch in meinem eigenen Tempo. Zufällig treffe ich in einem der Räume auch wieder auf die drei netten Damen aus UK, die ich vor 3 Tagen im Zug von Québec nach Halifax kennengelernt hatte. In den hinteren Räumen kann man durch die Fensterfront auf die Kreuzfahrtschiffe blicken. Aktuell steht hier auch ein Schiff aus Deutschland, eventuell mit 2500 Passagieren, so meine Recherche. Diese bevölkern gerade die Innenstadt von Halifax - um mich herum höre ich fast nur noch meine Muttersprache.

Am frühen Abend gönne ich mir spontan ein leckeres Essen im Ristorante a mano: Fettuccine mit Gambas in Zitronensauce, Limoncello Créme brûlée und ein Glas Wein aus Nova Scotia. Zum Glück bin ich früh dort, es wird brechend voll. Aber als Einzelperson erhalte ich sowieso nur einen Sitzplatz am Tresen und quatsche ein bisschen mit dem Barmann.

[outsidetaiwan]

加拿大人號火車橫越加拿大

比Rocky Mountaineer火車公司的洛磯山登山者號價格親民的加拿大人號 (The Canadian)是Via Rail火車公司眾多路線中的一條，可以花五天時間從溫哥華一路到多倫多，或者反過來走。

因為我已經搭過Rocky Mountaineer從溫哥華到洛磯山脈，所以加拿大人號我選擇從賈斯珀上車，一路搭到多倫多要四天，跟Rocky Mountaineer不一樣的是這四天的吃住都在火車上。

加拿大人號沒有洛磯山登山者號豪華，景觀車廂也相對只有幾節，但是只要是買臥鋪車廂的票，就會包含有廚師隨車新鮮製作的三餐，這點很吸引我。

出發前可以在公布欄上看到今天這輛列車所掛的所有車廂。經濟車廂乘客只有座位，以及可以到一節景觀車廂(Skyline Car)買簡單的飲料點心。

臥鋪車廂則可以使用景觀車廂，24小時提供茶咖啡水果小點，以及三餐到餐車(Dinning Car)用餐。

景觀車廂一樓前半是客廳沙發坐椅，可以休息聊天，後半是遊戲間，提供拼圖撲克牌讓人消磨時間，有時還會有賓果、電影、品酒等活動。二樓則是突出車頂小小的景觀座位區。

最後還有高級的商務車廂，商務車廂的人有另外的高級景觀車廂(Park Car)這節車廂都會在最後一節，因為可以往後看車尾軌道。不過下午四點過後，這節Park Car也會開放給一般臥鋪車廂的客人。

商務車廂從走道開始裝潢都走高級路線，景觀車廂一樣是一樓有分後段沙發和前段酒吧，以及頂層景觀窗座位。咖啡茶點都不用錢，但是如果要酒水則是另外現場收費。

至於餐車就是臥鋪車廂和商務車廂客人一起使用，看你車廂的位置分配在餐車A和B用餐，至於景觀車廂A和B就都隨意使用。

為避免擁擠，用餐會分時段，每天晚餐可以選擇隔天的用餐時段。

午晚餐都有牛肉 、雞肉、海鮮和素食可以選擇，每天的主菜色和甜點也都會變化。

總之吃的方面絕對不會令人失望。我剛上車的時候，在景觀車廂還有歡迎小點和香檳呢！

雖然從賈斯珀往多倫多這一段沿途的景色沒有洛磯山脈那麼令人震撼，但是從山區到平原再到湖區的變化，也算是橫跨加拿大的體驗了。

臥鋪除了商務車廂外，一般臥鋪車廂裡有三種選擇。第一種就是雙人房(Double Cabin)，有自己的包廂和衛浴，白天是兩張椅子，晚上則會變成上下舖。

還有一種是單人房(Single Cabin)，一樣是有自己的包廂和衛浴，但是因為空間的關係，白天是自己的座位面對著馬桶，晚上床舖起來是架在馬桶上面。

無法忍受使用公共廁所又有經濟考量的個人旅行者可能會選這種，但也有很多人不喜歡，直接加錢睡雙人房或選擇走道臥鋪。

我選的是最便宜的走道臥鋪(Upper and Lower Berth)的上舖，每節臥鋪車廂只有三組共六個這種床位。白天是面對面的座位，晚上則是只有簾子遮起來的上下舖，只要是臥鋪車廂都有給毛巾肥皂和洗髮乳，而且和商務車廂的人吃一樣的餐點，是不是很划算呢！

每節臥鋪車廂有兩個公共廁所和一間淋浴間，空間都很大，我洗澡時都有熱水，沒什麼可以抱怨的。

晚上即使是上舖床位也可以有上半身坐直的空間，搖搖晃晃的火車其實也挺好睡覺的。

[mongeese]

All my American followers who hate how much the American railroads suck should take comfort in the fact that at least they aren't as bad as Canada's

[aetus]

👆

[the-city-in-mind]

Hey @support can you do something about the bot accounts spamming the #transportation tag please

(posted on behalf of @amtrak-official, @penn-central-official, @viarail-official, @conrail-official, and all the urbanism blogs like myself…)

[ladyoftheharbour]

texting him was a mistake bc i'm pretty sure he's already on the very long train ride to his hometown and the wifi on viarail trains is notoriously useless so he obviously won't respond for several hours but now i'm preoccupied. brought this on myself

[fostertheory]

Additionally, there is now a proposal to link Amtrak in Detroit to ViaRail in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, just across the Detroit River. ViaRail will take you on to Toronto.

If you look on the map at upstate New York, you see a couple of lines that go north up to the border. As I recall, at least one of those lines continues on to Montreal as ViaRail.

Hell yeah the US just gave like 8 billion dollars in funding to intercity passenger rail. Including some HIGH SPEED RAIL?!?!?!??

can't overstate how massive this is, i used to work in rail and US trains were so pitifully underfunded that my employer wouldn't even bid on those projects because it wasn't worth the time. This is actually putting us on the level of other countries that invest in transportation as a public service??? And 8 billion? Like this could actually really make some massive change.

[chaoskiro]

I have made a new enemy today. So. As some who stumbled upon my earlier angry post may know, VIArail is already astronomically expensive, BUT it ALSO apparently believes it is an airplane.

Like, yeah, the website said that the big suitcase that i paid 25 DOLLARS to bring with me could maximum weigh 20 kg, and I knew that mine probably weighed more, but I was like: it is a train, will they seriously check??

It turns out that for these fucking trains "boarding" doesn't just mean "stepping into the train". Nonono. We will check your "boarding pass" and weigh your suitcases (that no one but me will carry), and if they are too heavy you need to take things out. Like I get it for a plane, there's staff breaking their backs on the regular to move them and it is a big fucking machine that flies.

But.

Like.

Come on!

I am sure that nothing happened in that process except me getting inconvenienced by the two sweaters around my waist.

Never ever travelling with viarail again swear to all that is unholy.

[overfedvenison]

TIL Viarail is a crown company

Why it not had right of way over the freight lines then??

[kimikawa]

Canadian commenting here but including ottawa on this route is kind of stupid (I know it's the capital but hear me out)

The Toronto-Kingston-Montreal corridor is a well-traveled route because it follows the St. Lawrence River and all three of these make a fairly straight line (same with other places along the same route like Brockville and Cornwall).

It's a reason why Kingston gets some signficant concerts; it's along the route for most tours.

Ottawa, on the other hand, is not along the St. Lawrence and would require a journey AWAY from everything. Current ViaRail routes even reflect this. It's sometimes easier for me to get a train from Kingston to Toronto, or even the Brockville-Toronto route, than getting the Ottawa-Toronto route.

(Also, switch out Hamilton with London, and that would also make WAY more sense to connect Toronto with Windsor.)

tldr that proposal needs some adjustments for the Canadian cities.

the extent that i would be at emo night at sneaky dees every single weekend is crazy. you would think i was canadian.

[nickstanley]

Via Rail Brantford

[jasonparis]

One of Union’s best bits has largely been hidden from public view for a generation. It is again part of the station itself with the reopening of the eastern wing off of the Great Hall. Just use the easternmost doors on Front St W. and enjoy! • • • #igerstoronto #toronto #ontario #canada #torontophotography #urban_toronto #unionstation #metrolinx #ttc #gotransit #viarail #upexpress #vestibule (at Union Station) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch3A-uFpxKt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[videomitch]

VIA Rail in Quebec City

Filmed from the bridge across the St Charles River, close to the entrance to Quebec’s Gare du Palais.

[sendingpughugs]

Tuesday, November 12, 2019: My train study setup before Jay Park’s concert at Toronto (I can’t wait! 🥰). Oh! It started snowing yesterday HARD. Christmas is coming soon!

[abitmoredetail]

St. Catharines Railway Station (3) #stcatharines #niagara #viarail #rail #stcatharinesrailway #grey #morning (at St. Catharines railway station) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Dpd5uALTb/?igshid=cfrvx6vdyp2s

[bconeill]

Taking the scenic route back. This station has had a nice makeover. #ottawa #viarail #explorecanada (at Gare d'Ottawa) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4vRatXnK05/?igshid=1piq09ysg68ub