Border crossing expectations from US/CAN and CAN/US?
 

We will be taking our first trip to Canada later this year via train.

Was wondering about what to expect as we cross in to Canada and back in to US?

Do the passengers stay in their seats and be visited by border agents or does everyone have to que up somewhere?

Is luggage searched?

Basically, anything anyone would share would be appreciated!

Thank you in advance...

It's been a while since I crossed the border by train but my most recent time (pre-9/11) you'd get the usual forms some distance before the border and then at the border, the train would wait while agents get on came by your seat. This was in the day of the Toronto-Buffalo RDC so ridership loads were comparatively small; I would expect that with the higher passenger count and longer routes being covered, where the agents get on now probably isn't the same (though I reserve the right to chew a bit of shoe leather :D ).

As to your luggage question, this was pre-9/11 and they spot-checked then; now...? If they still worked in that manner, I'd be surprised.

HTH
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I've been to Canada by train post 9/11 but not within the last 5 years (it's such a punishing, horrible trip from NYC). I've done the border crossing 3 times. You fill out the forms, authorities come on the train at the border, and they gather cards and interview all passengers, occasionally (but not very often) checking luggage.

I can't tell you if the process has evolved. It certainly takes some time, but it's not too onerous.

Started a 30 day North America Railpass trip in October 2011. Left WAS at 3 AM to NYC. Transferred to the Maple Leaf enroute to Toronto. The Customs agents have the names of all on board from Amtrak long before you get to the border. Normally the US agents do not stop the train before it goes into Canada. This evening they did. They got on with a black lab. The dog did the sniff test and we went across the border. The Canadian Customs agents got on with their black lab. They talked to every passenger for at least 20 seconds. Their dog was the one who alerted to the 3 kilos of heroin. Two people seated at the front of the car next to the engine were taken out the front door which is not used normally.
The drugs came back the aisle past the rest of us.
We arrived in Toronto about 1 hour behind schedule. After 17 hours on 2 trains I was ready for a good nights sleep in Toronto.

Correction: My first Amtrak trip was October 2001 five weeks after 9/11. Sadly the North America Railpass does not exist anymore. My trips across the border at Blaine Washington have been by Amtrak bus. They stop the bus and everyone gets off and loads their luggage on the conveyor belt. They did not even question me about the 2 bail type beer bottles (full) that were in my bag.

Thanx to all for the info!