The Saint-Laurent (French: Le Saint–Laurent) was a daily passenger train service operated by Via Rail along the St. Lawrence River from Mont-Joli to Montreal and later Quebec City.

Saint-Laurent
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleQuebec, Canada
PredecessorScotian
First serviceOctober 28, 1979
June 1, 1985
Last serviceMay 28, 1983
January 14, 1990
Current operator(s)Via Rail
Route
TerminiMont-Joli
Montreal (1979–1983)
Sainte-Foy (1985)
Quebec City (1985–1990)
Stops15 (1979)
12 (1989)
Distance travelled578 km (359 mi) (1979)
357 km (222 mi) (1989)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)18, 19 (1979–1983)
631, 632 (1985–1990)
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Track owner(s)Canadian National Railway
Route map
0 km
Mont-Joli
29 km
18 mi
Rimouski
46 km
29 mi
Bic
91 km
57 mi
Trois-Pistoles
108 km
67 mi
Isle-Verte
134 km
83 mi
Rivière-du-Loup
175 km
109 mi
Saint-Pascal
200 km
124 mi
La Pocatière
260 km
162 mi
Montmagny
319 km
198 mi
332 km
206 mi
Charny
Pre-1985 route
335 km
208 mi
Sainte-Foy
356 km
221 mi
Quebec City
477 km
296 mi
Drummondville
524 km
326 mi
Saint-Hyacinthe
571 km
355 mi
Saint-Lambert
578 km
359 mi
Montreal

The train was first established in 1979 to supplement the Ocean in eastern Quebec following the cancellation of the Scotian. Service lasted until 1990, with a hiatus from 1983 to 1985.

History

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The Canadian National Railway historically operated two daily passenger trains between Montreal and Halifax via Mont-Joli, Campbellton, and Moncton: the Ocean and the Scotian.[1]

On October 28, 1979, Via Rail discontinued the Scotian in favor of extending the Atlantic, a former Canadian Pacific train, from Saint John to Halifax. To ensure twice-daily train service remained between Mont-Joli and Montreal, the Saint-Laurent was added with train numbers 18 and 19. Similarly in New Brunswick, an unnamed Campbellton–Moncton train was added.[2]

From May 1983 to June 1985 the Saint-Laurent was replaced with an extension of the Chaleur. Before and after this time, the Chaleur and the Ocean ran together as one train from Montreal that divided at Matapédia station.[3]

On June 1, 1985, the Saint-Laurent returned with a southern terminus in Quebec City (briefly in Sainte-Foy), coinciding with the reopening of the Gare du Palais as the endpoint of the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. Timed transfers connected Saint-Laurent passengers with Corridor trains serving Montreal and points south.[4] This version of the Saint-Laurent carried train numbers 631 and 632.

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.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "System Timetable". Canadian National. 25 April 1976. p. 9. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  2. ^ "System Timetable". Via Rail Canada. 28 October 1979. p. 7. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  3. ^ "System Timetable". Via Rail Canada. 29 May 1983. p. 3. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  4. ^ "System Timetable". Via Rail Canada. 1 June 1985. p. 3. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  5. ^ "When VIA Rail was almost cut in half". CBC Archives. CBC. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.