A Different Way to Travel

Trains are a much different way to travel than any other. It's more civilized, I feel. The pressure associated with plane travel simply isn't there, and while I love driving, being able to simply experience the landscape as it passes by is something that I truly appreciate with train travel.

I've probably racked up more train miles than many people, that's for sure. I don't count GO Train travel in this, although that's how I get into and out of Toronto for work if I need to. I did travel from Cobourg/Port Hope to Toronto on the VIA train several times a week from 2008 until they shut down the commuter train for COVID. I would bike or walk from my house to the train station and be at my office in Toronto just after 8am. I was normally the first in the office, but came from furthest away.

Settling in for a VIA trip to Ottawa today

Waiting for the train

Hanging out on the platform

My VIA "points" accumulated so that I was able to take my kids on the Ocean train to Halifax in 2012 and then on the spectacular Canadian to Vancouver in 2016. I've included a few photos from those trips. I count them as some of the best trips I've ever done, and some of the best time I've spent with my kids. Great food, shared in an amazing setting with the majestic forests, mountains, trees, rivers, lakes, and prairies of our amazing Canadian landscape rolling by. I highly recommend it.

Exploring the first class sleeper car on the Canadian

Capturing the Rockies from the observation car on the Canadian

The dome car view through the forests of British Columbia

Caboose car of the Ocean train at dusk

Sunset from the top of the train on the prairies

Lately, my train travel on VIA Rail has been limited to a few trips to Ottawa (like today) or Montreal for conferences. It's pretty regular, but I do long for something truly for vacation.

Luckily, my Scotland trip coming up has some train travel as part of the excursion from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye. More on that later as it happens.

We need more trains in Canada, and we need rail travel to become a bigger part of how we explore it and commute across our land. I'm excited for the high-speed Alto project that has been announced to connect Toronto to Quebec City via Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, and Trois-Rivières. This is a huge deal on many levels. I can't wait for my first ride on it!