Windsor – London – Toronto – Kingston – Ottawa – Montréal – Québec
The Corridor, also known as Quebec City-Windsor Corridor, is VIA Rail’s busiest rail system, linking eastern Canada’s largest cities: Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, London, and Windsor. It concentrates the highest frequency of services in Canada and functions as the country’s core intercity rail network, oriented to short- and medium-distance travel between major urban centers. While there is no high speed rail operating in Canada, travel times are comparable to flying.
Tickets
The most direct way to book is with viarail.ca and 1-888-842-7245 (Canada and USA).
Fares
VIA Rail’s intercity fares are variable depending on demand (similar to airlines) so book earlier.
The chart below breaks down fares starting at for each route. Keep in mind that these are the absolute lowest fares.
| Fare Comparison | Economy Food available for purchase | Business Meal and drink included |
| Windsor – Toronto | $55 | $100 |
| Toronto – Ottawa | $55 | $146 |
| Toronto – Montreal | $55 | $146 |
| Montreal – Québec | $43 | $110 |
| Ottawa – Québec | $55 | $144 |
Baggage
Some Corridor trains offer checked baggage but with restrictions on weight and size.
The cheapest Economy fare, Escape, restricts carry on sizes. You have to pay extra for a larger carry on items. Keep this in mind when booking and be sure to consult VIA Rail’s baggage policy.
Destinations
Serving the densely populated and industrialized region of Ontario and Québec VIA Rail’s Corridor serves almost every major city in the region. While the largest cities (Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, and Québec) see multiple departures a day. All stations (except for Ottawa) terminate in the heart of downtown with transit and commuter connections. VIA Rail’s Corridor is an excellent way to explore urban Canada.
Notably, Union Station in Toronto has airport rail link, UP Express, continuing directly to Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Timetable & Schedule
| Destinations | Frequency | Notes |
| Windsor – London – Aldershot – Toronto | 5x daily | |
| Sarnia – London – Kitchener – Toronto | 1x daily | |
| Niagara Falls – Aldershot – Toronto | 1x daily | Also operates as Maple Leaf |
| Toronto – Kingston – Ottawa | 9x daily | |
| Toronto – Kingston – Montréal | 6x daily | |
| Ottawa – Montréal – Québec | 4x daily | |
| Montréal – Québec | 5x daily | Includes Ocean |
Earliest morning service departs between 05:00 A.M. and 06:50 A.M. with all trains arriving at their destination by 10:00 P.M. Unfortunately, no night train service is offered between the largest cities considering the demand.
Onboard
Food and drink is available for purchase onboard to Economy class passengers. However, only credit cards are accepted onboard. No cash or debit card is accepted as payment.
Business class passengers, on the other hand enjoy an all-inclusive with drinks and meals included. VIA Rail’s premium business service is comparable to airline’s business class in terms of food quality and perks. This includes access to the business lounge at major stations with complimentary coffee and snacks. No hot meals are available in the VIA Rail business lounge.
Wi-Fi is available onboard but speeds are limited to browsing and emailing. So no streaming.
There is no restaurant or café car available on Corridor trains (except for the Maple Leaf which uses Amtrak trainsets)
Train cars:
- Economy: reclining seats
- Business: for Sleeper plus, small communal shower
- Note: Corridor trains are in the midst of a fleet replacement to newer, more modern trains that offer better accessibility and information displays. The rolling stock is a mix of the older LRC cars (most of which have been refurbished for a good, modern feel) and the newer Siemens Venture cars offering USB ports (two in Business class) and more ergonomically seats.
Classes
Economy
Regular seats
Business
Alcoholic Drinks and gourmet meals included
Pros
- Convenient way to travel between eastern Canada’s metropolitan cities with downtown-to-downtown service.
- Relaxing, comfortable seats in both Business and Economy class.
- New fleet replacement offers a modern, accessible way to travel.
- Delicious meal and alcohol service in Business class included.
- Competitive to flying when factoring in airport security.
- Very frequent departures (up to 9x a day) on key routes (Toronto-Ottawa, Toronto-Montreal).
- Lower carbon emissions compared to flying or driving.
- Wi-fi and desk space to complete work.
Cons
- Lots of delays due to freight traffic.
- Waiting in long lines to board at major stations (Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, Québec, and London) feels like you’re at an airport.
- Lack of high speed rail option or electrified system.
- Lack of night train service.
- Lack of a café car with lounge.
- Discount fares are affordable but last-minute tickets can be pricey.
- Limited Wi-fi connectivity (not reliable for streaming or data heavy work).
Notes
- VIA Rail’s Corridor is great for medium distance trips (2-4 hours) to the major metropolitan areas of Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal but the lack of frequent service to smaller cities (Windsor, Sarnia, Quebec City) is a concern. No night train or high speed rail (although plans are in places with Alto) is a sore point.
- Québec, Montréal, and Ottawa (only one platform) Stations all feature seamless, level boarding.
- VIA Rail has been subject to some infamous events resulting in long, overnight delays due to extreme weather or operational issues. One operational issue lead to passengers being stuck on a train for 10 hours. The most famous weather event in recent memory was the major winter storm of Christmas 2022 in which passengers were stuck on trains for 20 hours. VIA Rail has faced major criticism due to their (lack of) response. While extreme weather is out of VIA Rail’s control, the response to it isn’t. Especially when Corridor trains operate close to major roadways allowing for a quick response to assist a stranded train.
All systems operated by
VIA Rail Canada
