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I flew into Gaspe in July 2011 to ride the Chaleur to Montreal. Unfortunately, a service delay required me to take a bus from Gaspe to New Carlisle. So, three months later, in October 2011, I drove to Campbellton, NB in order to drive over the bridge to Quebec's Gaspe peninsula to ride the Chaleur from Carleton to Gaspe and back on a Thursday. The Chaleur is one of the best kept secrets of VIA's surviving rail passenger system. It includes a dome and real diner meals year round (although unlike my trip in July where there was a full diner, the diner in October was a portion of the lower level of the skyline dome). And unlike Canada's Ocean, the dome on the Chaleur is open to all passengers regardless of whether they are in one of the coaches or one of the sleepers. The pictures which follow come from these two trips. Very few passengers take this thrice weekly train all the way through to Gaspe although there is modest ridership to and from Montreal that boards along the line where each of the stations (most of those east of Matapedia are shown below) are manned during the hours of train operations. The line north of New Carlisle has well maintained welded rail and is in better condition than I had anticipated. It appears, however, that this portion of the line is no longer be used for freight traffic of any kind. But for whatever political reason, this train has (at least until December 2011, see below) survived. A journey on the Chaleur east of Matapedia affords an extraordinary and relatively inexpensive scenic journey for the rail lover. All I can do is encourage those who love traditional passenger trains (with real dome cars and real diner food) to make the effort to ride the Chaleur while VIA still sees fit to keep it running. It may not make economic sense but it is one gorgeous ride as the pictures which follow attempt to demonstrate. (Note: Starting in December 2011, VIA suspended all rail service on the Chaleur east of Matapedia-- the point where the Chaleur and the Ocean split apart. The service was suspended because of the deterioration of several bridges along the route. It is uncertain how long this suspension will continue or whether full service will be restored. This link provides the text of VIA's suspension notice. As of May 2012, VIA had restored service between Matapedia and New Carlisle according to this notice. Unfortunately, the most scenic part of the service-- between New Carlisle and Gaspe, remains suspended. Check with VIA for updates.) |
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From all appearances, the station at Gaspe had been damaged by fire fairly recently. A modular trailer was serving as the temporary station during both of my visits in 2011 and there was no evidence of any rush on VIA's part to restore and reopen the damaged structure. VIA substituted a bus between Gaspe and New Carleton on the occasion of my trip in July 2011 because the eastbound Chaleur / Ocean had been delayed following their combined departure from Montreal. Because the Chaleur has less than three hours between the time it is scheduled to arrive in Gaspe and the time it is due to depart for the return trip to Montreal, VIA will turn the train at New Carelton (the only other station east of Matapedia where the train can be "wyed") and provide bus service between New Carelton and Gaspe if the train is running more than an a couple of hours late. (One of the very nice train attendants I spoke with in July assured me that this did not happen very often and that I had had bad luck in getting stuck on the bus.) The pictures below chronicle my July 2011 trip: first, my VIA sponsored bus from Gaspe to New Carleton following the route of the Chaleur (we called on each station along the way) and, second, the train ride west from New Carleton until sunset. |
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| The pictures which follow were taken between Carleton and Gaspe. I arrived at the Carleton station in the pre-dawn hours and was treated to a brief snow squall just as the sun was coming up over the horizon. Even though I was in coach on this trip, one of the attendants allowed me to stand at the back of the sleeper on the journey up to Gaspe which allowed me to take unobstructed photos out the back of the train. Most of the photos which follow show the view from the rear of the train looking south and west toward Carleton and (ultimately) Montreal. |
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