VIA Rail Canada
“The Ocean”
Montréal → Halifax
- 1,352 km along the track
- 28 stops
- 17 commentary points
Overnight from Montréal down the south shore of the St. Lawrence and through the Matapédia Valley, then across New Brunswick to Halifax and the Atlantic.
Stop Overnight stop Commentary point
Legs
| From | To | Distance | On the train |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montréal | Campbellton | 748 km | about 12 h |
| Campbellton | Moncton | 300 km | about 5 h 30 min |
| Moncton | Halifax | 304 km | about 4 h 40 min |
Approximate scheduled times. Check the timetable with the operator before you travel.
Things to know
- Overnight - the Ocean is an overnight train of about 22 hours. The Lower St. Lawrence is mostly passed in the dark eastbound; the Matapédia Valley, Chaleur Bay and the Maritimes are seen by day.
- Sleeping - choose between economy seats and Sleeper Plus cabins and berths. Book sleepers well ahead in summer.
- Time zone - New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are on Atlantic time. Clocks go forward one hour on crossing the Restigouche River into New Brunswick, and back one hour heading west into Québec.
- Sainte-Foy - the train crosses the Québec Bridge to Sainte-Foy, the station for Québec City, then comes back over the bridge the same way before heading east.
- Frequency - the Ocean does not run every day. Check VIA's timetable before planning connections.
Ride it with Rail Passages
All 17 commentary points on this route, triggered by GPS and readable offline.
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GPS may not be available everywhere. Tunnels, deep canyons and some rail cars can block the signal. The app estimates where the train is for a few minutes from its last speed, but cards may come late until the signal returns.