REVIEW | VIA Rail Canada night train 15 ‘The Ocean’ from Halifax to Montreal

In May and June 2023, we travelled from east to west across Canada. From Halifax in Nova Scotia to Montreal in Quebec, to Toronto in Ontario, to Vancouver and Whistler in British Columbia. Along the way some night trains and commuter trains, the Niagara Falls and – imagine this – a bus journey. A true Trans-Canada Train Trek.

Our first train of this Trans-Canada Train Trek is The Ocean or L’Océan, VIA Rail Canada nr. 15. A night train bringing us from Halifax in Nova Scotia, travelling through bilingual New Brunswick or Nouveau-Brunswick and dropping us off in French-speaking Montréal in Québec.

This train is a peculiar one. One part consists of typical American-style stainless steel Budd carriages. After a transition car, there are British-built and thus British style Nightstar coaches.

Nightstar? Yes, in the 1990s, there was this idea to have a night train from France to Scotland, so there was a need for rolling stock fitting the narrower British lauding gauge and the Channel Tunnel requirements. That project never came to fruition so the cars where sold to VIA Rail.

Staff are no fans, as they are not built to resist Canadian winters. As train guards ourselves, we totally sympathise with not liking some types of rolling stock.

The cabin

I had the pleasure to have a cabin for two for myself. It features three seats which is converted into a bed for the night. There is an ensuite bathroom which is toilet, sink and shower in one. It’s more practical than it sounds. There are a few cupboards, including a somewhat hidden one. A coat hanger for your coat, a little table which is large enough for my laptop.

There are two power outlets. A little bag or net to store belongings such as a passport, a mobile phone and a wallet would have been nice.

There are three mirrors, plenty of lights and fine working airconditioning. The colour palette, as you can see, is oozes nineties.

The other cars

We walked through the train, having a look at the economy seats in the Nightstar carriages, the transition car and the Budd cars.

The transition cars is empty, bar a display on Canadian flags and electronics t make the transition between the two train cultures happen.

The Budd cars are another world. They are larger, they have a touring bus feel about them. You can sense the 1950s vibes. Seats seem comfortable.

The roomettes are longitudinal, contrary to the European style transversal beds. The roomettes don’t have a bathroom but they have toilet under a seat. One of these will be my home on The Canadian.

Catering on board

Sleeper passenger eat in the custom-fitted dining car. The Nightstar wasn’t supposed to feature one, only the lounge cars / café cars. Both lunch and dinner are served in two seatings. Breakfast is without reservation.

Lunch and dinner have the same pattern. A starter (soup or salad), three main course options and a dessert. Water, soft drinks and tea and coffee are included, alcohol isn’t. There is always or two vegetarian options.

Meals are not freshly cooked on board but heated up as is the procedure on flights. Still, you get fresh fruit. Options are decent and varied.

You can see here what was on the menu late May. It obviously happens some dishes are out, especially for the second seating. So be flexible. Portions are nice. Not too big.

Generally these are nice meals.

Breakfast also offers three options. On the side you can have toast as well.

Sleeping and showering

So, what is sleeping like on the train? I slept quite well. Turning at 9PM or so, I was wide awake at 5AM. That is not unusual on sleeper trains. The mattress is firm. Not really wide and not really long, but I slept okay. I really liked the fluffy pillows, the sheets and the duvet.

Showering on a train can be a hassle. The warm water is lukewarm at best, but obviously you’re only supposed to shower quickly. Water pressure is okay. Water is timed. Not literally. You push a button and you get some seconds of water. Then you push again and again and again.

I managed to wash my hair and body just fine.

So, does the bathroom get completely wet? Pretty much. But surprisingly, it dries up fairly quickly.

So?

By now I’ve done a few night trains in my life and this was a nice experience. It’s a good product and staff is really friendly. If you like train travel, try this is one out.