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All Aboard the Rapido!

Broadcast Date: Oct. 31, 1965

"From downtown to downtown in just 4 hours and 59 minutes!" promises CN Railways. A new express train, named the Rapido, rolls out today offering travellers direct service between Toronto and Montreal. The Rapido, billed as North America's fastest inter-city passenger train, trims one hour and 16 minutes travel time from the Toronto-Montreal corridor. Harold Watkins, the Rapido conductor, is interviewed in this Assignment report. "There's no comparison between the Rapido and our older trains, the older trains are just like the horse and buggy, they've had their day," Watkins says.

All Aboard the Rapido!

• On October 31, 1965, every seat was filled on the Rapido's inaugural run.
• The distance between Toronto and Montreal is 539 km. The Rapido reached an average speed of 108 km/hour and a top speed of 143km/hour.

• In 1965, the cost of a one-way coach ticket on the Rapido was $8.00. On Fridays and Sundays, the fare increased to $9.50. Parlour-car tickets ranged from $15 to $19 including the cost of a meal.

• The Globe and Mail's Bruce West praised the Rapido. "The rapido is more comfortable than most airliners and with a running time of 4 hours and 59 minutes between Canada's largest cities, it doesn't fall a great deal behind the downtown-to-downtown elapsed time of traveling by air. From now on, I'm quite sure, the tortoise is going to give the high-flying hare a good run for its money," he wrote. (November 8, 1965)

• Despite a concerted effort to maintain its passenger service, CN continued to lose money throughout the 1970s. In 1978, CN and Canadian Pacific funnelled their passenger services to a new government-owned company, VIA Rail Canada.
• The Rapido trains were in operation for 16 years before they were replaced with the LRC line.

• In 1968, CN introduced service between Toronto and Montreal with the Turbo train. The Turbo was so named because it was power-driven by a jet turbine. Touted as the height of modernity, the Turbo was expected to attain speeds of 200 km/hr. On its inaugural run, however, the ultra-fast train ploughed into a truck near Kingston. Thereafter, the Turbo was plagued with technical problems and was eventually retired in 1982.
• The express VIA 1 train runs from Toronto to Montreal in four hours and fifteen minutes.

All Aboard the Rapido!

Medium: Radio

Program: Assignment

Broadcast Date: Oct. 31, 1965

Guest(s): Harold Watkins

Host: Bill McNeil
Reporter: Nan Dobson

Duration: 4:03

Last updated:
Nov. 10, 2005