The ''Montrealer'' was an overnight
passenger train
A passenger train is a train used to transport people along a railroad line. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self pr ...
between
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, and
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The train was operated from 1924 to 1966, and again under
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
from 1972 to 1995, excepting two years in the 1980s. The train was discontinued in 1995 and replaced by the ''
Vermonter'', which provides daytime service as far north as
St. Albans, Vermont. Current Amtrak service to Montreal is provided by the daytime ''
Adirondack'' from New York City via Albany.
History
Previous service
The original ''Montrealer'' entered service on June 15, 1924. The train provided overnight service from Washington, D.C., to New York City and Montreal on a route that passed through
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. The ''Washingtonian'' operated over the same route in the southbound direction.
Both trains ran over five railroads: the
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...
, the
New Haven Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...
, the
Boston & Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. Originally chartered in 1835, it became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022).
At the end of 1970 ...
, the
Central Vermont Railway
The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec.
It connected Montreal, Quebec, with New London, Connect ...
, and the
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States.
CN i ...
, which worked together to provide the equipment and crews to operate the train.
When it was inaugurated, the ''Montrealer'' also provided through service to
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
and
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
. During the summer months the Quebec car originated a few days a week in
Murray Bay, a resort area northeast of Quebec City.
North of the U.S.-Canadian border, in early years the train traveled east of
Missisquoi Bay
Missisquoi Bay is a large extension in the northern part of Lake Champlain, at the East of the output of the latter in Richelieu River. It takes the form of a violin head, with the neck extending from the head of the lake and is about in diameter. ...
and through
Iberville on the route north to Montreal. By the 1950s the route was rerouted through
Alburg, Vermont, and in Quebec made stops at
Cantic,
St. Johns and
St. Lambert before reaching Montreal.
The ''Montrealer'' and the ''Washingtonian'' first ran during the days of
Prohibition in the United States
In the United States from 1920 to 1933, a Constitution of the United States, nationwide constitutional law prohibition, prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtai ...
. ''The Washingtonian'' became known unofficially as "The
Bootlegger" or simply "The Boot" because passengers often carried well-hidden bottles of liquor on the southbound train. During the Prohibition years the ''Washingtonian'' was a favorite target of U.S. federal agents who would board in St. Albans and search the train looking for illegal liquor.
During the 1940s extra
sections
Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea
* Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents
** Section sig ...
of the train were added for skiers on weekends in the winter months from New York to
Waterbury, Vermont
Waterbury is a town in Washington County in central Vermont, United States. Although the town is still home to the Waterbury Village Historic District, the village sharing the name of the town officially dissolved as a municipality in 2018. As ...
.
By the 1960s, service consisted of two daily round trips: the Washington–Montreal ''Montrealer''/''Washingtonian'', and the New York City–Montrealer section of the ''
Ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
''. On September 6, 1966, the trains were unceremoniously discontinued between Montreal and
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...
. Previously, the ''Ambassador'' had been an entirely separate day train counterpart to the ''Montrealer.'' The New Haven Railroad continued to operate its portion of the train between Springfield and New York City until December 31, 1968, when most passenger service on the
New Haven–Springfield Line
The New Haven–Springfield Line is a railroad line owned by Amtrak from New Haven, Connecticut, north to Springfield, Massachusetts. As a branch of the Northeast Corridor just north of New Haven State Street station, it is served by approximate ...
was discontinued, upon the implementation of the merger of the New Haven Railroad into the
Penn Central
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American Railroad classes, class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals (the Pennsylvania Railroad ...
.
Amtrak era
Amtrak began operation of a New York train, called the ''Montrealer'' northbound and ''Washingtonian'' southbound, on September 30, 1972.
It made a stop at St. Lambert as the last stop before the Montreal destination. But the other Quebec stations served in the past had been eliminated. The train was named ''Montrealer'' in both directions on May 19, 1974.
The ''Washingtonian'' was also Train 185, which came from New York and later, along with most other regular trains on the
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
, folded into one
NortheastDirect
The ''Northeast Regional'' is an intercity rail service operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. In the past it has been known as the ''NortheastDirect'', ''Acela Regional'', or ''Regional''. It is Amtrak's busies ...
in 1995. The ''Montrealer'' acquired a reputation as a party train due to the large numbers of skiers who would take the train, staying up late into the night or not sleeping at all. Amtrak equipped the train with its own dedicated
lounge car
A lounge car (sometimes referred to as a buffet lounge, buffet car, club car or grill car) is a type of passenger car on a train, in which riders can purchase food and drinks. The car may feature large windows and comfortable seating to create a re ...
, outfitted with an electric piano, dubbed ''Le Pub''.
Derailments
Amtrak's ''Montrealer'' suffered numerous derailments during its years of operation:
*On January 5, 1973, the train derailed in
Randolph, Vermont
Randolph is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,774 at the 2020 census, making Randolph the largest town in Orange County. The town is a commercial center for many of the smaller, rural farming communities that ...
, due to a wrongly set switch.
*On September 5, 1981, nine cars of the southbound train derailed in
Hatfield, Massachusetts
Hatfield is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,352 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The census-designated place of Hatfield consists of t ...
. No serious injuries were reported among the 328 passengers.
*On February 14, 1982, the train derailed in
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,238. Located north of Springfield ...
, near the Smith's Ferry section of the city. Four people were treated for minor injuries. An investigation found that the cause of the derailment was a spreading of the tracks.
*On February 14, 1984, the train derailed in
Vernon, Vermont
Vernon is a town in Windham County, Vermont, in the United States. The population was 2,192 at the 2020 census. Vernon is the site of the now-defunct Vermont Yankee, the state of Vermont's only nuclear power plant, which closed in December 2014. ...
.
*On June 29, 1990, the train derailed in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Pennsylvania, on
a curve just west of the Philadelphia Zoo. Two passengers were injured.
1984 wreck
On the morning of July 7, 1984, the northbound ''Montrealer'' (carrying 262 passengers and 16 crew) was derailed by a washed-out culvert between
Williston and
Essex, Vermont
Essex is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Vermont Route 289 crosses the town from east to west. The city of Essex Junction, population 10,590, was located within the town as an incorporated village until 2022.
History
The ...
. Heavy rains over the previous night had broken beaver dams upstream, resulting in a washout in the embankment.
Five of the train's thirteen cars fell into the stream, with one sleeper car buried under several other cars.
Three passengers, one Amtrak attendant, and one
Central Vermont Railway
The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec.
It connected Montreal, Quebec, with New London, Connect ...
crew member were killed; 29 others were seriously injured.
The train included four private chartered passenger cars, doubling the usual passenger load and increasing the number of injured; the resulting rescue operation involved extricating dozens of trapped passengers and was then the largest in Vermont history.
Despite the severity of the wreck, the death toll was low due to circumstances permitting quick rescue: area hospitals were at shift changes with doubled staff levels, a 2,400-person
Vermont National Guard
The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Together, they are collectively known as the Green Mountain Boys. Both units use the original Revolutionary War-era Flag of the Green ...
detachment with helicopters and a tank retriever was nearby preparing for training, and a large
mobile crane was at a construction site in nearby
Georgia, Vermont
Georgia is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,845 at the 2020 census.
Geography
The town occupies the southwest corner of Franklin County, bordered to the south by Chittenden County. The western border of th ...
.
The
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...
investigation faulted Amtrak for the lack of a proper cab radio and recommended changes in locomotive battery placement, improvements in baggage rack and seat cushion retention, and the use of shatterproof mirrors in passenger cars.
Suspension and return
![Former Amtrak platform, Willimantic, CT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Former_Amtrak_platform%2C_Willimantic%2C_CT.JPG)
The ''Montrealer'' was suspended north of
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...
, on April 6, 1987, because of deteriorating track conditions between
Brattleboro
Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about no ...
and
Windsor, Vermont
Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As the "Birthplace of Vermont", the town is where the Constitution of Vermont was adopted in 1777, thus marking the founding of the Vermont Republic, a sovereign state until 1791, when ...
. During the suspension, Amtrak offered bus service (operated by
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Peter Pan Bus Lines operates an intercity bus service in the Northeastern United States. It is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts.
It operates service to/from to Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hamps ...
) between
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...
, and Springfield, with connecting Amtrak service in Springfield.
This situation precipitated the only instance of Amtrak seizing another railroad by
eminent domain
Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...
, followed by the re-sale of the track by Amtrak to the
Central Vermont Railway
The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec.
It connected Montreal, Quebec, with New London, Connect ...
. The matter went all the way to the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
in ''
National Railroad Passenger Corp. v. Boston & Maine Corp.'', which upheld Amtrak's action. Led by U.S. Senator
Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph Leahy (; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who is the senior United States senator from Vermont and serves as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, ...
of Vermont and Representative
Silvio Conte of Massachusetts, Congress appropriated $5 million to rebuild the track. Only the section between
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
and
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about no ...
, was transferred, however, leaving the
Connecticut River Line
The Connecticut River Line (colloquially known as the Conn River Line) is a railroad line owned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), that serves the "Knowledge Corridor" between Springfield and East Northfield, Massachuse ...
between
East Northfield and Springfield, Massachusetts, as an obstacle.
The ''Montrealer'' was reinstated in July 1989 with a longer routing to avoid the Connecticut River Line. The train used the Central Vermont Railway between East Northfield and
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decades ...
(with a stop at to replace the former stop) and the
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
between New London and New Haven. Although slightly slower than the old route, this allowed for safe and reliable service.
A special daytime train was run on July 17, 1989; regular service began with the northbound train on the 18th and the southbound on the 19th.
On November 1, 1991, an intermediate stop was added at
Willimantic, Connecticut
Willimantic is a city located in the town of Windham, Connecticut, Windham in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It is a former Census-designated place and Borough (Connecticut), borough, and is currently organized as one of two Local gov ...
.
''Montrealer'' service ended on March 31, 1995, amid a budget crisis. It was replaced with the ''
Vermonter'', a daytime train sponsored by the state of Vermont, the next day. The ''Vermonter'' terminated at St. Albans rather than Montreal; it was routed over the New Haven-Springfield Line plus a section of the
Boston Subdivision The Boston Subdivision is a railroad line in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The line runs from Back Bay Station in Boston west to Wilbraham, just east of Springfield. along a former New York Central Railroad line. The line connects with the Nor ...
to reach the Central Vermont at
Palmer
Palmer may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Palmer (pilgrim), a medieval European pilgrim to the Holy Land
* Palmer (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Palmer (surname), including a list of people and ...
.
Planned extension of the ''Vermonter'' to Montreal
Efforts have been underway for many years to extend the ''Vermonter'' to Montreal. In 2012 the
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966. The purpose of the FRA is to promulgate and enforce rail saf ...
awarded $7.9 million to allow for the upgrade of the existing freight rail line between St. Albans and the Canada–US border. Work on this project was completed in late 2014.
On March 16, 2015, the United States and Canada signed an agreement that would allow for the establishment of a pre-clearance customs and immigration facility within
Central Station
Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...
in Montreal. Before the ''Vermonter'' can be extended to Montreal the agreement must first be approved by
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
and the
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, the ...
, and a preclearance facility must be constructed within Central Station.
On December 8, 2016, US President Barack Obama signed bipartisan legislation enabling US-Canada preclearance. On December 12, 2017, Canada's
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
gave a royal assent to Bill C-23 enacted by Canada's House and Senate. The remaining hurdles to implementing the preclearance regime are an
Order in Council
An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' Ki ...
in Canada, and a joint agreement between the two countries on construction of the facilities in Montreal and the service operating procedures.
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
''Montrealer'' timetable , August 8, 1960
{{Former Amtrak routes, state=collapsed
Former Amtrak routes
Named passenger trains of Canada
Night trains of Canada
Night trains of the United States
International named passenger trains
Passenger rail transportation in Vermont
Passenger rail transportation in Massachusetts
Passenger rail transportation in Connecticut
Passenger rail transportation in New York (state)
Passenger rail transportation in New Jersey
Passenger rail transportation in Pennsylvania
Passenger rail transportation in Delaware
Passenger rail transportation in Maryland
Passenger rail transportation in Washington, D.C.
Passenger rail transport in Quebec
Railway services introduced in 1972
Railway services discontinued in 1995