St. James

One day before my planned departure I got notified by Via Rail that we are delayed and gonna leave the day after around noon. On the website they already warned you not to plan any connecting transits due to possible delays. But starting with already 15,5hrs was quite a lot 😅
I was early at the train station and checked my big backpack in. Before lining up we got a free lunch box and I was lucky that I randomly picked the one with my favorite pop inside. :) It was free seating and everyone was able to get a double seat for oneself. You could recline the seats and establish a leg extension in two different positions. I was also well prepared with my sleeping bag, inflatable pillow, earplugs and sleeping mask.
There were just three railcars for economy seating and the rest was first class where they had beds, showers and meals included. But after the second night I had found a rather good sleeping position without changing every hour. ;) Mostly I was up early between 5 and 6 so I could enjoy the rising sun.
The first day and night we were still crossing Ontario and it felt like we were standing most of the night cause we had to wait for oncoming freight trains.
The next day we reached the prarie Manitoba and had the chance to go for a short walk in Winnipeg before heading towards Saskatchewan. I also saw some bisons on a ranch. The railway station of Saskatoon was smaller than the one in my hometown ^^
We were now riding into Alberta and reached Edmonton one day later than planned. It was time to say goodbye to one of my friends (Epiphany) I was playing cards with most of the time on the train.
From Saskatoon on they also started to give away free snacks and juice and for the passenger leaving a free meal before they got off.
After Edmonton we gradual rode into the incredible Rocky Mountains of Jasper Nationalpark. :) Just before entering the town of Jasper we had to wait again and gained another three other delay. Many passengers got off in Jasper and at the end we were 12 in enconomy class going all the way together from Toronto to Vancouver like a big family. All different but this great journey in common. Shabir and Alvin had many interesting stories to tell and Zoe and Alex were also fun to talk to. :) Thanks guys for making this trip unforgettable!
On the 13th of may we finally reached our destination Vancouver with a total delay of 27,5hrs. And I was lucky that I got picked up by my couchsurfer host Khaled from the train station.

So remember never take the train #1 through the country if you are in a rush. But if you would like to enjoy an unforgettable journey then do it before the government cancel this beautiful train due to unprofitability!Läs mer