{{Short description|Tourist train in Quebec, Canada}} {{Infobox heritage railway | name = Orford Express | other_name = | logo = | logo_width = | logo_alt = | image = File:2018 Orford Express FL-9 locomotive at Magog.jpg | image_name = | image_width = | image_alt = | caption = Orford Express tourist train EMD FL-9 locomotive at Magog, Québec. | color = | locale = | terminus = Sherbrooke, Quebec | longitude = | latitude = | map = | map_caption = | map_alt = | mapsize = | connections = | linename = | builtby = | originalopen = | originalgauge = | originalrack = | originalelec = | owned = | operator = | marks = | stations = | length = | preservedgauge = | preservedrack = | preservedelec = | era = | com-years = | com-events = | com-years1 = | com-events1 = | com-years9 = | com-events9 = | closedpassengers = | closed = | stageyears = | stage = | years = 2006 | events = Established | years1 = 2020 | events1 = Ceased operations | years2 = | events2 = | years12 = | events12 = | headquarters = | website = | routemap = | routemap_name = | routemap_state = }} The '''Orford Express''' was a tourist train between Magog and Sherbrooke, Quebec, operating seasonally on the former Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway line through Quebec's Eastern Townships.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sherbrookerecord.com/content/orford-express-mma-reach-megantic-deal |title=Orford Express, MMA reach Megantic deal |publisher=Sherbrooke Record |date=2013-10-10 |accessdate=2014-04-25}}</ref> A dinner train which operated from early May to end-December,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://billetterie.orfordexpress.com/index_en.html |title=Tickets |publisher=Orford Express |date= |accessdate=2014-04-25}}</ref> it was owned and operated separately from the underlying tracks.

== History == The rail line through Farnham, Sherbrooke and Lac-Mégantic originally continued as the International Railway of Maine, part of the Canadian Pacific Railway system, through Brownville Junction, Maine, to Saint John, New Brunswick. Built in the 1880s, the CPR abandoned this line to the first in a series of short-line operators in 1994. Subsequent owners of the underlying line include Iron Road Railways (bankrupt 2002), Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway (bankrupt 2013), the Central Maine and Quebec Railway, and now finally back to Canadian Pacific..

VIA Rail formerly provided ''Atlantic'' passenger train service on this line, but abandoned the route when the tracks were sold in 1994.

A long history of deferred maintenance under various short-line operators caused the tracks to deteriorate, necessitating speed reductions on much of the line.<ref>{{cite news|author=Kim Mackrael |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/mma-issued-warnings-to-operators-to-slow-down/article13592387/ |title=MM&A issued warnings to operators to slow down due to track conditions |publisher=The Globe and Mail |date=2013-08-05 |accessdate=2013-08-05}}</ref>

The Orford Express, launched in 2006,<ref name="ctacof2005">[https://www.otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/ruling/561-r-2005 Text of CTA Decision 561-r-2005]</ref> covered one small portion of the route (Eastman to Magog and Sherbrooke) seasonally, at low speed using its own trains (owned and insured separately from the underlying freight short lines) with tourist panorama cars. The train ran from May to December, with special runs during the holiday season between Christmas and New Year's Eve. There were two dining cars and seating for 140 passengers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://provincequebec.com/eastern-townships/orford-express/ |title=Orford Express |publisher=Province Québec |date= |accessdate=2014-04-25}}</ref>

On October 8, 2020, the owners, PAL+, announced that they had made the decision to cease operations of the Orford Express tourist train. The train had been inactive for the previous few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

==Operational setbacks== On July 6, 2013, an unattended 74-car freight train carrying Bakken Formation crude oil rolled down a 1.2% grade from Nantes and derailed in downtown Lac-Mégantic, resulting in the fire and explosion of multiple tank cars and the confirmed death of forty-two people and five more missing and presumed dead.<ref>{{cite news|title=Search resumes in Lac-Mégantic for 5 still missing |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/search-resumes-in-lac-m%C3%A9gantic-for-5-still-missing-1.1357940 |date=2013-07-21 |access-date=2013-07-21}}</ref>

On October 11, 2013, Transport Canada imposed an embargo on the line between Lennoxville and Lac-Mégantic due to poor track conditions,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/dossiers/tragedie-a-lac-megantic/201310/14/01-4699450-lorford-express-nira-pas-a-lac-megantic.php |title=L'Orford Express n'ira pas à Lac-Mégantic |author=Philippe Teisceira-Lessard |publisher=La Presse |language=French |date=2013-10-14 |accessdate=2013-12-29}}</ref> necessitating cancellation of a planned special train to Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, which was to have run from Thanksgiving to Halloween.

On April 25, 2014, the service was cancelled for the season due to accidental fire damage to one of the panorama cars. The season was to have started May 7.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/orford-express-season-cancelled-after-tourist-train-fire-1.2621638 |title=Orford Express season cancelled after tourist train fire |publisher=CBC Montréal |date=2014-04-25 |accessdate=2014-04-25}}</ref>

Regular operation of the tourist train resumed in 2016.

On October 8, 2020, it was announced that operations would permanently cease. The train had not operated for a number of months before that due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orfordexpress.com/en/ |title=Cease of Operations |publisher=Orford Express |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009022102/http://www.orfordexpress.com/en/ |archive-date=October 9, 2020}}</ref>

== See also == * Budd Rail Diesel Car * Dome car * EMD FL9

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{Official website|http://www.orfordexpress.com/en/home.htm}}

{{coord missing|Quebec}} {{Canada heritage railways}}

Category:Dinner trains Category:Heritage railways in Quebec Category:2006 establishments in Quebec