The Council is standing firm against the recent changes by VIA Rail, unanimously backing a motion that urges the Crown corporation to reconsider the cuts affecting Kingston and other communities in Eastern Ontario.
These changes, set to take effect on Oct. 25, will reduce service along the Québec City-Windsor corridor. Specifically, Kingston will see a decrease of eight VIA trains each week, from 187 to 179.
“I think this is at least the fourth motion that we’ve put forward about Via Rail, like at least once a year we’re having to weigh in,” Mayor Bryan Paterson, who introduced the motion, remarked before Council. “I think to say that I’m exasperated with Via Rail would be an enormous understatement and I think that most of you around the table would agree with that.”
The motion also requests VIA Rail to share the ridership data and analysis that led to these changes and calls on the federal Minister of Transport to prioritize intercity passenger rail services.
Additionally, the City plans to connect with other municipalities in Eastern Ontario to create a unified advocacy approach.
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