Baggage Tips Carry on baggage now has two options. Passengers are allowed either two articles weighing 11.5 kg (25 lb) each plus a personal item OR one article weighing 18 kg (40 lb) and a personal item.   If a train does not have a baggage car, no checked baggage service is offered. The VIA Rail website, www.viarail.ca, has the most current information.   If checking baggage, arrive 45 minutes prior to departure. Three bags weighing less than 23 kg (50 lb) each may be checked free of charge.   Excess pieces, in size, weight or number, are subject to a fee. Each piece must have passenger name and address on outside.   Not all articles are permitted to be checked as baggage. Go to www.viarail.ca to find the exact regulations for the itinerary.   Pets Only cats, dogs and small rodents are allowed onboard and must travel in baggage cars. If a train does not have a baggage car, no pets (other than service animals) are allowed onboard.   Baggage cars are heated but most are not air-conditioned; therefore, pets are not allowed on most trains between June 1 and August 31.   Pets must be transported in appropriate cages large enough for the animal to stand. Special Services Elderly, customers with young children and Sleeper, Touring, Sleeper Plus and Business class passengers can be boarded early.   Special Meals & Wheelchairs require 48-hour notice. Special meals are only available to travelers in Business or Sleeper Plus class.   Smoking prohibited on board all trains. Smoking is allowed at certain stops but not others. Check the website, www.viarail.ca, for current information.