Accent on Travel

COMPARING ROCKY MOUNTAINEER’S FRASER DISCOVERY ROUTE FROM WHISTER TO JASPER, AND VIA RAIL CANADA’S CANADIAN BETWEEN JASPER AND VANCOUVER.

Here are our impressions of the two Canadian railroads we just enjoyed on our May 2006 trip. Please bear in mind that both railroads have other routes, and in VIA’s case, other equipment, and we are only comparing the particular trains we just experienced.

Rocky Mountaineer Locomotive	VIA Rail Locomotive

Sleeping arrangements:
Rocky Mountaineer travels only during daylight hours so guests don't miss any scenery. Overnight stops are at hotels.	As a long-distance train which travels between Toronto and Vancouver , VIA has sleeping compartments for both singles and doubles, lower and upper berths, roomettes, bedrooms, and drawing rooms.
Frequency of operation:
As a vacation train for tourists, Rocky Mountaineer’s Fraser Discovery Route carriers passengers from May through October on selected dates.	VIA’s Canadian has three departures a week all year from both Toronto and Vancouver.
Scenery :
The rails between Whistler and Quesnel run past some of the most varied scenery imaginable in one day. Lakes, snow capped peaks, rivers, and lush forests give way to high desert plateaus. Then the tracks rise to two thousand feet over the Fraser river. The sagebrush and ranchlands of the Cariboo country give way to lush forests again before the train reaches Quesnel for an overnight stop before tackling the Rockies on an all-daylight trip into Jasper.	We boarded the Canadian in Jasper, Alberta in the very heart of the Rockies. We enjoyed views of huge mountains with glaciers, lakes, rivers, and forests. The train’s scheduled 3:30 pm departure puts the Canadian in the dark during the transit of some mountain ranges and the dramatic proximity of the Fraser River. At sunrise, the farmlands of the Fraser Valley with jagged snow-capped peaks in the background greet guests as breakfast is served before the Canadian’s arrival into Vancouver.
Concepts :
Rocky Mountaineer is a privately owned company. Their train is designed for vacationers who want to see all of the scenery and learn about the country they are traveling through. It is a land cruise/resort on wheels, with the passenger’s comfort and delight as the main focus of the operation.	VIA Rail Canada is subsidized by the federal government. While the Canadian was created as a transportation train, it has become a mecca for nostalgic rail enthusiasts and most passengers are vacationers looking for the reincarnation of the streamliner of the 1950s. While passengers are treated well, the experience of the journey, rather than just personalized service itself, is the priority here.
Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf Dome	VIA Rail Dome Car
Equipment:
Rocky Mountaineer uses former Canadian National Daynighter coaches with large windows and reclining seats in Red Leaf service. There is no lounge dining car, or dome. Meals are served at your seat. Gold Leaf guests sit in full-length domes. A dining room, restrooms, and open platform are on the lower level. There is an elevator for the handicapped to reach the upper level.	VIA’s Canadian has 1950s streamlined equipment which has been beautifully re-stored, but without losing its Art Deco ambiance. Its scenic domes afford forward views so you see the signals and the stainless steel train along snaking ahead.

Rocky Mountaineer Locomotive

VIA Rail Locomotive

Sleeping arrangements:

Rocky Mountaineer travels only during daylight hours so guests don't miss any scenery. Overnight stops are at hotels.

As a long-distance train which travels between Toronto and Vancouver , VIA has sleeping compartments for both singles and doubles, lower and upper berths, roomettes, bedrooms, and drawing rooms.

Frequency of operation:

As a vacation train for tourists, Rocky Mountaineer’s Fraser Discovery Route carriers passengers from May through October on selected dates.

VIA’s Canadian has three departures a week all year from both Toronto and Vancouver.

Scenery :

The rails between Whistler and Quesnel run past some of the most varied scenery imaginable in one day. Lakes, snow capped peaks, rivers, and lush forests give way to high desert plateaus. Then the tracks rise to two thousand feet over the Fraser river. The sagebrush and ranchlands of the Cariboo country give way to lush forests again before the train reaches Quesnel for an overnight stop before tackling the Rockies on an all-daylight trip into Jasper.

We boarded the Canadian in Jasper, Alberta in the very heart of the Rockies. We enjoyed views of huge mountains with glaciers, lakes, rivers, and forests. The train’s scheduled 3:30 pm departure puts the Canadian in the dark during the transit of some mountain ranges and the dramatic proximity of the Fraser River. At sunrise, the farmlands of the Fraser Valley with jagged snow-capped peaks in the background greet guests as breakfast is served before the Canadian’s arrival into Vancouver.

Concepts :

Rocky Mountaineer is a privately owned company. Their train is designed for vacationers who want to see all of the scenery and learn about the country they are traveling through. It is a land cruise/resort on wheels, with the passenger’s comfort and delight as the main focus of the operation.

VIA Rail Canada is subsidized by the federal government. While the Canadian was created as a transportation train, it has become a mecca for nostalgic rail enthusiasts and most passengers are vacationers looking for the reincarnation of the streamliner of the 1950s. While passengers are treated well, the experience of the journey, rather than just personalized service itself, is the priority here.

Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf Dome

VIA Rail Dome Car

Equipment:

Rocky Mountaineer uses former Canadian National Daynighter coaches with large windows and reclining seats in Red Leaf service. There is no lounge dining car, or dome. Meals are served at your seat. Gold Leaf guests sit in full-length domes. A dining room, restrooms, and open platform are on the lower level. There is an elevator for the handicapped to reach the upper level.

VIA’s Canadian has 1950s streamlined equipment which has been beautifully re-stored, but without losing its Art Deco ambiance. Its scenic domes afford forward views so you see the signals and the stainless steel train along snaking ahead.

VIA photos by Matthew G. Wheeler

Rocky Mountaineer photos by Sylvia Blishak

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