Via Rail’s performance has gone from bad to worse — and it’s costing the company millions

Cédryk Coderre was just one of the many passengers left stranded on a Via Rail train for 10 hours on August 31st earlier this year. The train, which was travelling from Montreal to Quebec City, experienced a mechanical failure that left passengers hungry, thirsty, and dealing with malfunctioning toilets that emitted foul odours. The situation escalated as some frustrated passengers, who had been given little to eat beyond pretzels, became combative with Via personnel.

Coderre, who is a frequent traveller both domestically and internationally, expressed his frustration to a House of Commons committee studying the incident. He noted that delays in Canada seem to be more common compared to other countries he has visited. He shared his experience of multiple delays on both planes and trains in Canada, highlighting the need for better transportation infrastructure.

Via Rail has been struggling with on-time performance issues, with only 59 per cent of trains arriving on time last year. This is a significant decrease from previous years, with a 23 percentage point drop since 2013. The delays not only inconvenience passengers but also cost the railway millions of dollars in compensation for travel credits given to passengers for delays exceeding an hour.

The blame for Via Rail’s poor on-time performance has been placed on Canada’s major railways, particularly CN Rail, which owns the majority of track infrastructure along the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. Via Rail trains often face delays due to rail congestion and maintenance issues, as they have to yield to CN’s freight trains.

In contrast, Amtrak, the U.S. government-owned passenger rail service, has managed to maintain a better on-time performance despite also running most of its trains on tracks owned by freight companies. The U.S. government’s legislation prioritizing Amtrak passengers over freight has contributed to Amtrak’s success.

Transport Action Canada, an advocacy group for rail and bus service, has raised concerns about Via Rail’s performance and called for legislative changes to prioritize passenger rail. While the government’s plans for high-speed rail are promising, immediate improvements such as investing in passing tracks and longer sidings could help alleviate delays.

In response to the issues raised, a spokesperson for Transport Minister Anita Anand emphasized the government’s commitment to modernizing and improving passenger rail services. However, there was no direct response to the suggestion of giving rail passengers priority over freight to address Via Rail’s on-time performance challenges.

Overall, the incident on Train 622 has highlighted the urgent need for improvements in Canada’s passenger rail system to ensure a more reliable and efficient travel experience for passengers like Cédryk Coderre.