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Route map
	v; t; e; Legend
	Ocean to Halifax;
	Chaleur to Gaspé
	29 km
	18 mi
	46 km
	29 mi
	91 km
	57 mi
	108 km
	67 mi
	134 km
	83 mi
	175 km
	109 mi
	200 km
	124 mi
	260 km
	162 mi
	319 km
	198 mi
	Lévis
	Ferry to Québec City
	332 km
	206 mi
	Quebec Bridge
	over the St. Lawrence River
	335 km
	208 mi
	356 km
	221 mi
	477 km
	296 mi
	524 km
	326 mi
	571 km
	355 mi
	Victoria Bridge
	over the St. Lawrence River
	578 km
	359 mi

*Saint-Laurent*
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Discontinued
Locale	Quebec, Canada
Predecessor	Scotian
First service	October 28, 1979; June 1, 1985
Last service	May 28, 1983; January 14, 1990
Current operator(s)	Via Rail
Route
Termini	Mont-Joli; Montreal (1979–1983); Sainte-Foy (1985); Quebec City (1985–1990)
Stops	15 (1979); 12 (1989)
Distance travelled	578 km (359 mi) (1979); 357 km (222 mi) (1989)
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	18, 19 (1979–1983); 631, 632 (1985–1990)
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Track owner(s)	Canadian National Railway
Route map
Route map
	v; t; e; Legend
	Ocean to Halifax;
	Chaleur to Gaspé
	29 km
	18 mi
	46 km
	29 mi
	91 km
	57 mi
	108 km
	67 mi
	134 km
	83 mi
	175 km
	109 mi
	200 km
	124 mi
	260 km
	162 mi
	319 km
	198 mi
	Lévis
	Ferry to Québec City
	332 km
	206 mi
	Quebec Bridge
	over the St. Lawrence River
	335 km
	208 mi
	356 km
	221 mi
	477 km
	296 mi
	524 km
	326 mi
	571 km
	355 mi
	Victoria Bridge
	over the St. Lawrence River
	578 km
	359 mi

The Saint-Laurent (French: Le Saint–Laurent) was a daily passenger train service operated by Via Rail along the St. Lawrence River from Mont-Joli to Montreal and later Quebec City.

The train was first established in 1979 to supplement the Ocean in eastern Quebec following the cancellation of the Scotian. Service lasted until 1990, with a hiatus from 1983 to 1985.

History

The Canadian National Railway historically operated two daily passenger trains between Montreal and Halifax via Mont-Joli, Campbellton, and Moncton: the Ocean and the Scotian.^[1]

On October 28, 1979, Via Rail discontinued the Scotian in favor of extending the Atlantic, a former Canadian Pacific train, from Saint John to Halifax. To ensure twice-daily train service remained between Mont-Joli and Montreal, the Saint-Laurent was added with train numbers 18 and 19. Similarly in New Brunswick, an unnamed Campbellton–Moncton train was added.^[2]

From May 1983 to June 1985 the Saint-Laurent was replaced with an extension of the Chaleur. Before and after this time, the Chaleur and the Ocean ran together as one train from Montreal that divided at Matapédia station.^[3]

On June 1, 1985, the Saint-Laurent returned with a southern terminus in Quebec City (briefly in Sainte-Foy), coinciding with the reopening of the Gare du Palais as the endpoint of the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. Timed transfers connected Saint-Laurent passengers with Corridor trains serving Montreal and points south.^[4] This version of the Saint-Laurent carried train numbers 631 and 632.

Service was discontinued on January 15, 1990, during a round of severe cuts to the Via Rail network overseen by Benoît Bouchard due to the 1989 budget.^[5]

References

^ "System Timetable". Canadian National. 25 April 1976. p. 9. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
^ "System Timetable". Via Rail Canada. 28 October 1979. p. 7. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
^ "System Timetable". Via Rail Canada. 29 May 1983. p. 3. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
^ "System Timetable". Via Rail Canada. 1 June 1985. p. 3. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
^ "When VIA Rail was almost cut in half". CBC Archives. CBC. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.