Originally named the Ocean Limited, this legendary route has been running for 121 years, though VIA Rail marked its 120th anniversary only earlier this summer in Halifax, combining the celebration with the 70th anniversary of The Canadian.

Stepping aboard the Ocean feels like stepping back into the golden age of rail travel. There’s a sense of nostalgia in the air. The route stretches 1,346 km (836 miles) from Montreal to Halifax, winding through landscapes that seem painted by nature itself: the grandiose St. Lawrence River, rolling hills, serene rivers and lakes, cute coastal villages, and finally, the rugged Atlantic shoreline.

The Ocean operates year-round, three times a week, 18 cars in summer with slightly fewer cars in winter. Interestingly, there’s no real “low season” anymore - demand for this scenic journey keeps growing.

The train is a fascinating blend of two distinct generations of railcars. At the front are the Renaissance cars - sleek, European-style coaches originally built for Britain’s Channel Tunnel project in the early 1990s. When that plan fell through, VIA Rail scooped them up at a huge discount. These cars are narrower and lower than their North American counterparts, which means tighter hallways and more compact compartments. Our sleeper car had ten cozy cabins, some even feature a shower hanging over the toilet.

Behind the Renaissance section are the legendary Budd cars - stainless steel beauties from the 1950s, built in Philadelphia and still going strong. Many staff personnel admire their superior comfort, especially the softness of mattresses. Personally, my wife and I were perfectly happy in our Renaissance cabin. Maybe it was the welcome champagne, maybe the soothing sway of the train, or maybe just us being exhausted after a long day working and travelling - but we slept like babies.

Ironically, despite being 35 years newer, the Renaissance cars will be retired first within the next decade. Their steel isn’t stainless, and decades of Canadian winters have left their mark. Still, they have a certain charm - modernist chandeliers, bold red accents, and a design that feels very European.

Meals on the Ocean are a social business like on any other overnight train in Canada. Dinner on the first night and lunch the next day are served in two or three sittings in the dining car, where you can choose a private table for two or join a larger table of four for a conversation with fellow travelers. Unlike The Canadian, there are no chefs onboard - the meals are pre-cooked and reheated. But don’t let that fool you: the food is surprisingly good, with both meat and vegetarian options. Add in Nova Scotia wine tastings and a glass of Champaign to start the journey, and you’ve got yourself a pretty refined experience for a train rolling through the Canadian wilderness.

A fun fact that there is one unique type of wine that is made only in Nova Scotia and is nowhere else to find - Tidal Bay. It’s a firm style white wine, a bit fruity and on a sweeter side. It cannot contain more than 11% of alcohol and it pairs well with seafood and cheese. There are some strict rules as to which grape sorts can be mixed there, and to be approved as Tidal Bay wine it has to be independently tested by a blind tester. 

The Ocean takes about 23 hours to complete its run - longer in summer when CN imposes speed restrictions when air temperatures are above 25°C. Delays of up to six hours aren’t unheard of, but ours was only 2.5 hours late, which honestly felt like a bonus: more time to nap, more time to stare out the window, and even an extra meal - a simple but fresh and tasty sandwich.

And those views? Absolutely worth every minute. From the towering hills of Gaspésie to the patchwork of green and gold fields in Nova Scotia, from chocolate-brown tidal rivers in New Brunswick to centuries-old Acadian churches, this is Canada at its most authentic. 

Sure, you can fly from Montreal to Halifax in an hour or so, but where’s the magic in that? On the train, you wave to locals - and they wave back. In New Brunswick, entire families came out to their family members. The Ocean isn’t just transportation; it’s a local legend.

Our dinner coincided with a golden sunset between Saint-Hyacinthe and Drummondville, with mountains appearing out of blue in the middle of corn fields. We went to sleep long after the sunset, just as we reached Sainte-Foy, a suburb of Quebec City.