The Craftiest Workshop

I decided to take the train to Saskatchewan to visit my parents this year. Flights were more expensive than last year and you now have to pay for even a carry on bag. Chris had a work course in Edmonton so it was easy enough to drive down with him and have him drop me off at the train station.

While I expected delays, I did not expect that the train leaving Edmonton would be 10 1/2 hours late. It was scheduled to leave Edmonton just before 8pm but we didn’t end up leaving until after 6am. I had Chris drop me off around 1am so he could sleep a bit before and a bit after. At least, in Edmonton, there is a station that you can wait at indoors.

At one point in the trip we were stopped for three hours in the middle of nowhere on a side rail waiting for four freight trains to pass. It was at sundown so I was able to take a nice progression of sunset photos.

There was a young man from Germany across from me that said he had never seen a sunset that filled the sky with colour. My guess is that he is either from a city or an area that is not flat.

We arrived in Melville at 11:30pm, still 10 1/2 hours later than scheduled. To make up time for the three hour stop, the train was going 130-140km/hr and it felt like riding on a roller coaster rolling left and right.

My last train trip was in 2021 when COVID was still a thing. We were wearing masks and I imagine that if anyone had even coughed, they would have been asked to get off at the next stop. This time the coughing was rampant. I was a bit unlucky to have a hacking cougher right behind me on both trips. I ended up with quite the cold for my first week at my parents. Luckily I didn’t seem to pass it on.

I could see that the economy passengers were mostly smokers waiting for their next opportunity to get off the train to have their fix. I would say it was half and half tobacco and pot. I was close to the bathroom on the ride back and one guy must have gone in the bathroom to smoke at least four times, the smell wafting up and out thru the crack under the door. Though the conductor came by during one of those visits, he seemed to just ignore it.

In many of the towns along the way, the stations are still there but are no longer used for passengers to wait. The old station in Melville is there but only a tiny building is available to stay warm just before the train is scheduled to arrive. Here is the building in Wainwright. Now used only as a wind break for those braving the cold for a smoke.

Along the way, there are many of these piles of railway ties. I am assuming these are ones that have been replaced but they aren’t sure where to dispose of them?

My trip back was on time leaving Melville and only a half hour late into Edmonton. A woman near me was complaining about the lateness into Edmonton. I had to laugh to myself considering how late the train had been two weeks before and the one the Friday before was 22hrs late by the time it finished its run.

If you choose to ride the train in Canada, you can’t be on a schedule to make a connection. It is more for those that are retired or have a flexible schedule. The foot room and ability to move about on the train is much better than flying. Though they have implemented baggage restrictions, I was still able to have a checked bag, carry on and personal item at no extra charge.

Next time, I may pay a little more to get a sleeper car or private cabin. The price difference was not that much and those tickets included meals in the dining car. I imagine the economy car would be quite full in the summer months but in winter, for both trips, I was able to have two seats to myself.

Even with the delays and smokers, I think it is still a good option if you have the time. There is a VIA app that allows you to track the train and is accurate within a few minutes. That is how I knew about the delay of the train leaving Edmonton and that I didn’t need to get there for 8pm. Overall, it was an ok experience and it got me to where I needed to go…eventually.