VIA Rail Cancellations in Busy Corridor

Due to what VIA is calling “operational constraints” several trains along the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridor have been cancelled this week. Citizen advocacy group Transport Action Canada lays the blame squarely on the trains’ inability to function fully in wintery weather. 

At issue is the Siemens Venture trains purchased by VIA Rail over the past several years. Weather-related troubles have included an axle that seized due to freezing conditions, several short power outages and “deficiencies in weatherproofing” such as frozen doors. 

After passengers were stranded overnight on a train near Brockville, Ontario (between Toronto and Ottawa), VIA is hoping to avoid a similar situation. To mitigate potential problems, the rail line is holding some trains in reserve at its hubs, to send in case of trouble. In order to do this, VIA is cancelling trains. 

VIA told CBC News that “cancellations are a short-term measure meant to protect service reliability during what's expected to be a challenging time.” With the Family Day long weekend the start of Reading Week at area universities, it is expected to be busy on the rail lines. The upcoming rush “necessitates temporarily reducing service to keep additional trains in reserve to limit the risk of prolonged delays," Via Rail said.

So far, the upcoming cancellations that have been announced are:

• Feb 11: Trains 31, 38, 53, 54, 61, 68, 641, 644
• Feb 12: Trains 31, 38, 53, 61, 68, 641
• Feb 13: Train 31

You can stay up-to-date with train schedules, delays and cancellation on VIA Rail's Live Tracker: tsimobile.viarail.ca

Related: Winter Edition of Canada Strong a Success for VIA Rail

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