Moncton–Edmundston train

Moncton–Edmundston train

Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Discontinued
Locale	New Brunswick, Canada
Last service	January 14, 1990
Current operator	Via Rail
Former operator	Canadian National Railway
Route
Termini	Moncton Edmundston
Stops	9
Distance travelled	372 km (231 mi)
Average journey time	4 hr 30 min
Service frequency	3 round trips per week
Train number	619, 620, 625, 626, 628
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Track owner	Canadian National Railway
Route map v t e Legend Train to Sainte-Foy (ended 1979) 372 km 231 mi Edmundston 331 km 206 mi Saint-Léonard 312 km 194 mi Grand Falls 269 km 167 mi Plaster Rock 217 km 135 mi Juniper 191 km 119 mi Napadogan 156 km 97 mi McGivney 93 km 58 mi Chipman Ocean to Campbellton / Montreal Atlantic to Saint John / Montreal 0 km Moncton Ocean / Atlantic to Halifax

The Moncton–Edmundston train was a passenger train service operated by Via Rail between Moncton and Edmundston, New Brunswick. Intermediate stops were in Chipman, McGivney, Napadogan, Juniper, Tobique Valley, Grand Falls, and Saint-Léonard.

Discontinued in 1990, this was the last passenger train route to serve Edmundston. Moncton is still served by the Ocean.

History

The Moncton–Edmundston train was operated by the Canadian National Railway until 1977, when CN's passenger rail services were spun off into Via Rail. Service consisted of one daily round trip.^[1]

The route disappeared from the timetable on November 15, 1981.^[2]

On October 28, 1984, the service resumed on a reduced schedule. Wednesdays and Fridays saw one round trip each. A third trip departed Moncton on Sundays and returned from Edmundston on Mondays.^[3]

Service was discontinued on January 15, 1990, during a round of severe cuts to the Via Rail network overseen by Benoît Bouchard due to the 1989 budget.^[4] This marked the end of passenger rail service to Edmundston.

Proposed restoration

In 2014, Via Rail considered rerouting the Ocean between Edmundston and Moncton rather than pay CA$10 million to rebuild 70 km (43 mi) of track from Miramichi to Bathurst. The rerouting was estimated to cost CA$50 million and involve construction of five new stations.^[5]

References

1. "System Timetable". VIA Canadian National. 31 October 1976. p. 35. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
2. "System Timetable". Via Rail Canada. 15 November 1981. p. 27. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
3. "System Timetable". Via Rail Canada. 28 October 1984. p. 3. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
4. "When VIA Rail was almost cut in half". CBC Archives. CBC. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
5. "VIA Rail 'deliberately attempted to discourage ridership'". cbc.ca. CBC News. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2021.