True or is it just nearby? I'll be arriving around 8:30 PM (catching the "Canadian") at 10:00 PM and would really like to get a bite to eat..perhaps i should be rollng across the street to the Royal York instead!

For sure, there's a Tim Hortons on York Street, which is the west end of the Royal York Hotel, immediately north of the hotel.

Inside the station, there's two main sections. VIA Rail to the west and GO Transit to the east, on the lower level.

There's at least a dozen fast food outlets in the Go Station area, but the question is how many will be open that late into the evening.

I'm predicting you won't starve, but can't promise too much variety.

What day of the week is it? That might make some difference.

There's a Longo's supermarket attached to the station, and I can find out what its hours are. There's lots of good takeout food there, if you want to stock up for the train ride.

BAK thanks for the info and the take-out seems like a good ide.

I am leaving on a THURSDAY.

If you want a really memorable meal try the rotating restaurant near the top of the CN Tower. http://www.cntower.ca/plan_your_visi.../summer_hours/
The CN tower is right next to the ViaRail station.
They seem to have switched to summer hours 9AM to 10:30PM.
By all means carry some takeout food in your backpack to avoid eating 3 meals a day from the dining car. The takeout window in the hallway back to the dining room is OK for a bowl of noodles or a cold drink. If you are in the sleepers you will eat very well compared to people like me who sleep in coach. Are you going all the way to Vancouver or making at least 2 stops? My first trip on the Canadian was in October 2001 from Toronto to Winnipeg. At that time they left at 9AM.
Have a great trip!

Thanks for the reply

5th time

Toronto to Vancouver

Roomette

Longo's fancy grocery store next to Air Canada Centre which is next to Union Station is open until 11 pm on Thursdays.

I'll ask about take out and travel-friendly food,but I knosw there's lots of stuff. No refrigerator in a roomette of course, but some cheese, some bread, ...

BAK

String cheese is my favorite between meal snack on the train.
I hope you get a good look at the mountains west of Jasper.

Thanks again, BAK, and also Tom. Took the same route in May 2010 (I know, I'm addicted, but it's hard to find any train which gives you FOUR nights in one trip, even in Europe) and we had GREAT views of the mountains as well as the canyon early the next morning on the approach to Vancouver. This latter portion I'd really like to do by car sometime soon so I could get out and explore a bit.

Next time stop in Winnipeg and then take the train to Churchill. I've done that twice since October-November 2001 when I had a North America Railpass. Sorry they don't sell them anymore.
MY DW and I may be buying USA Railpasses this summer for a trip back east.
Back on topic, I recall eating at Tim Horton's in Winnipeg.

Longo's at Union Station (well, next door) has cooler bags and sells bags of ice. Also insulated hot bags. But don 't buy too much. Train food is pretty ghood, too.

I can tell you that the "train food" has always been excellent whenever I have taken the Canadian. It is so far ABOVE AMTRAK offerings for example. And for that matter, as old as the rolling stock is I think IT is better than what I've lately seen on AMTRAK long-distance routes, too.

Timmies is a short walk from Union on York. We stayed at the Strathcona last trip to Toronto and loved that it was directly across from the hotel.

Dukey1,

I so agree about the "train food" being quite good on the two VIA long distance trains I've taken (the Canadian and the Ocean). The offerings in the dining car on the Amtrak long-distance routes are not to this level, I concur; however, I do feel that Amtrak is improving in its dining car options.

I love the Canadian (once westbound, twice eastbound) and hope to do it again someday, so I do understand why you seek it out!

Best wishes, Daniel