Now that the
leaves are starting to change colour, it’s an excellent time to
explore the passenger trains and tourist railways that are scattered
across Ontario. You can travel out of town for a day or weekend, or
wait a few weeks and take in scenic views from a train seat closer
to home.
The first step
is to find out where autumn leaves are at their peak. Call
1-800-ONTARIO (668-2746) or go to
www.ontariotravel.net.
Via Rail and
Ontario Northland, plus Amtrak, are the three intercity passenger
rail services that serve Toronto’s Union Station. Via and
Northlander schedules have recently been updated, and new travel
times may attract leaf-lovers.
For a good
weekend trip without a car, consider using the Ontario Northland bus
and train service to the attractive town of Bracebridge, and stay at
a bed and breakfast. If you haven’t taken a rail trip recently,
please remember that we’re not in Switzerland. Intercity trains in
North America often run late, so confirm the departure time before
leaving for the station.
Although GO
Transit is not geared to sightseers, there are opportunities to feel
like a tourist right at home. The Richmond Hill line is particularly
beautiful as you travel through the lush Don River valley.
This train only
runs weekdays, so try to schedule an afternoon trip northbound from
Union Station. You can disembark at the Oriole stop, within walking
distance of the Leslie subway station. It’s an especially good ride
when the sumach trees turn their brightest red.
It feels a bit
odd to be a tourist on a train full of commuters heading to their
suburban homes, but many GO routes terminate in former small towns.
I’ve visited them all by train, often returning by bus after staying
overnight.
One possible
excursion is to take a GO train to Stouffville on Friday afternoon.
You can have dinner, take a stroll and sleep at a local bed and
breakfast. On Saturday afternoon, board the York-Durham Heritage
Railway -- known as the "The Moraine Train" -- to Uxbridge and
return in time to catch a GO bus back to Toronto. Plan carefully,
and you can have a fun weekend jaunt without a car.
There are many
operating tourist railroads in Ontario, although many can be reached
only by auto. Almost all offer special fall colour and Halloween
trains, and some are so popular that reservations may be needed.
Close to
Toronto, there’s the South Simcoe Railway in Tottenham, the
“Streetcar Museum” or Halton County Radial Railway north of Milton
and the new Credit Valley Explorer Tour Train in Orangeville.
Further away,
there are tourist railways in Huntsville, which is also a
Northlander stop, in Port Stanley near London and across from Ottawa
in Gatineau, Quebec. The colours near Sault Ste. Marie are peaking
right now, so next autumn try the popular Algoma Central Railway
tour packages. Get details on all these trains at
www.canadabyrail.ca, or
read today’s column online at
www.metronews.ca -- click on Columnists.
Ontario Travel,
including leaves: 1-800-ONTARIO (668-2746)
http://www.ontariotravel.net/TcisCtrl?site=consumers&key1=travelTools&key2=weather&language=EN&linkType=I
Fall Colours PDF
file, prepared twice a week until the end of October
http://www.ontariotravel.net/publications/fallcolourreport.pdf
Via Rail Canada
intercity trains
http://www.viarail.ca/en_index.html
Ontario
Northland intercity train (and bus)
http://www.northlander.ca/
Amtrak, U.S.
intercity rail (with service from Toronto)
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage
GO Transit
commuter rail:
www.gotransit.com
http://www.gotransit.com/publicroot/home.asp
Ontario tourist
trains:
http://www.canadabyrail.ca/maps/Ontario.html