Train Cancellations Hit Major Canadian Cities

Via Rail reports that recent train cancellations in the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridor were due to “heightened operational pressure.”

A number of trains between Toronto and Ottawa, Ottawa and Montreal, and Montreal and Ottawa were cancelled “end-to-end” on Monday because Via Rail’s live tracker mentioned “operational constraints.”

When asked for more details, the federal Crown corporation chose not to give an interview but stated via email that these cancellations are a temporary measure intended to “protect service reliability” during what they expect will be a tough period.

With severe weather predicted for this week and a likely increase in passenger traffic ahead of the Family Day weekend in Ontario, Via Rail said it was necessary to temporarily cut back service in order to keep some extra trains available to minimize the chances of long delays.

Terry Johnson, president of the citizen advocacy group Transport Action Canada, noted that Via Rail seems to be holding some trains back as a way to avoid last-minute trip cancellations.

“By keeping a deeper bench, as we might say in sports terminology, they are hoping to get to the end of the game,” Johnson explained.

He added that Via has made several last-minute cancellations over the past two weeks.

Parliamentary Scrutiny Wednesday

This week’s cancellations come at a critical time for Via Rail.

On Wednesday afternoon, executives from Via will answer questions from members of Parliament’s standing committee on transport, infrastructure and communities.

The discussion is expected to center around “Improving VIA Rail’s Safety and Customer Service.”

This meeting follows an incident two months ago when passengers were stuck overnight on a train halted at Brockville, Ont., between Ottawa and Toronto.

“We have directed that they get much better at [dealing with] issues that may arise on a line,” Transport Minister Steven Mac Kinnon remarked at that time.

WATCH | Mac Kinnon on the Brockville incident:

Transport minister asked about Via train delay that left passengers stranded overnight

In its emailed statement on Monday regarding this week’s cancellations, Via Rail acknowledged how these changes affect passengers and local communities.

“All affected passengers have been rebooked or refunded at no cost,” Via stated.

“We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate our passengers’ understanding.”

Are you affected by a recent last-minute Via Rail cancellation? Reach out to Guy at guy. quenneville@cbc. ca

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