Via Rail train leaves Union Station for Churchill

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/12/2018 (2252 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the time finally came for Churchill to get its passenger train back on track, Doug Belcher was adamant he wanted to be among the first to ride the rails.

Belcher, a retired conductor for the Prairie Dog Central, packed his suitcase and left for the northern town from Winnipeg on Sunday.

He was among the first dozen riders on the repaired Hudson Bay Railway as Via Rail resumed service to Churchill, which is scheduled for three times per week.

“I wanted to be part of the new era, I guess,” Belcher said, showing off a photo of himself wearing his old conductor’s uniform, which he had packed and said he planned to wear on board).

Belcher’s plan upon arrival was to “eat, drink and be merry and just relax. Walk around town, take photographs, talk to people… being a married man, my wife said… I better behave myself.”

Churchill, which has about 900 residents, plans to welcome the train visitors Tuesday.

Michael Woelcke, general manager of Via’s regional services, said Churchill residents were “over the moon” when they heard news of the company’s first scheduled trip in approximately 18 months.

In May 2017, flooding washed out several parts of the rail line to Churchill and plans for repairs dragged as the line’s owner, Omnitrax, refused to foot the bill.

By fall, a new ownership coalition named Arctic Gateway Group had taken over and made the necessary fixes within 35 days.

Tim Harwood-Jones hadn’t planned on riding the first train to Churchill, but when his train to Thompson was cancelled Wednesday, he wound up getting re-booked in time to witness history.

Harwood-Jones said he had been pestering his area MP, Liberal cabinet minister Jim Carr, about Churchill’s situation and the irony of winding up on the first train back wasn’t lost on him.

“I’ve been feeling for (Churchill residents) with Mayor (Mike) Spence and all the people, I’ve been following them. I think the governments… should have just said to Omnitrax, ‘OK we’re taking the line over. You reneged on your responsibility and you’re keeping people – they cannot go anywhere,’” he said.

“They’re in the middle of nowhere and there are no roads. They were stuck. They had to wait a year and a half… (and) it’s an essential service, really.”

The long-awaited train was scheduled to leave Union Station in Winnipeg at 12:05 p.m. and Ron Grapentine couldn’t wait to begin the journey.

“I’ve been going up for the last 25 years at least, every winter. So I have many friends to visit there,” he said, explaining how he would build igloos and winter camp many moons ago.

“(Churchill has) been always on my mind. I talk to my family about getting back to Churchill. So, hopefully, we have a safe ride up.”

The 48-hour train trip stops at Dauphin, The Pas, Thompson and Gillam along the way. Tickets cost from $217 to $1,067 in Winnipeg on Sunday, a Via Rail employee said. It was expected the 162 seats and sleeper cars would be full upon arrival in Churchill.

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @_jessbu