LOCATION: REGIONAL (QUEBEC, NEW BRUNSWICK, NOVA SCOTIA)
Issue: ON DECEMBER 23, 2022, VIA RAIL TRAINS 14 AND 15 (OCEAN) AND TRAINS 601 AND 603 (MONTRÉAL-SENNETERRE-JONQUIÈRE), WERE DELAYED/CANCELLED DUE TO THE DOWNING OF TREES ONTO CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY (CN) INFRASTRUCTURE.
Date: JANUARY 12, 2023
Suggested Responses
- From December 23 – 24, 2022, VIA Rail experienced service disruptions to its Ocean and Montréal-Senneterre-Jonquière routes due to circumstances related to extreme weather conditions (e.g., power outages, trees on the tracks/trains, delayed replacement of crews, a CN derailment, etc.).
- VIA Rail is reviewing its incident response protocols and communications for passengers onboard stranded trains.
- In response to its service disruptions, VIA Rail is offering a full refund to affected passengers, along with travel credits for those whose trains were completely immobilized.
- On January 10, 2023, VIA Rail issued a press release acknowledging the situation and the need for the organization to make changes. VIA Rail has indicated that they will be working with outside experts to review their planning, operational response, protocols around customer care and overall communications.
- As a Crown corporation, VIA Rail operates at arm’s length from the Government of Canada. VIA Rail’s Board of Directors is responsible for investigating and reviewing its services, including its response to service disruptions.
- Transport Canada’s priority is to provide Canadians with an efficient, safe and secure transportation system. When major incidents occur, Transport Canada has response measures in place, and works with stakeholders to gather information to support oversight activities.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
VIA Rail, a federal Crown corporation, was established in 1977 to operate Canada’s national passenger rail service. Its mandate is to provide a safe, efficient and reliable mode of transportation from coast to coast. Given that VIA Rail functions at arm’s length from the Government of Canada and is overseen by a dedicated Board of Directors, operational decisions are made solely by VIA Rail. The Minister of Transport’s role is to determine the broad policy direction of the Crown corporation, while respecting its operational autonomy.
Due to extreme weather conditions on December 23, 2022 (downing of trees onto tracks, etc.) VIA Rail experienced service disruptions to both its Ocean (Montreal to Halifax) and Montréal-Senneterre-Jonquière routes. Passengers travelling on VIA Rail’s Ocean were initially delayed several hours and ultimately routed back to their point of origin. Passengers travelling on VIA Rail’s Montréal-Jonquière experienced delays several hours long and then were ultimately given the option to travel by bus back to Montreal or to Jonquière. Passengers travelling on VIA Rail’s Montreal-Senneterre route were initially delayed several hours but then proceeded by train to their destination.
VIA Rail resumed its regular schedule for the Ocean and Montréal-Senneterre-Jonquière routes on December 25. Roughly 700 passengers were affected and VIA Rail has provided all passengers affected with a refund. Where VIA Rail was unable to provide hotel and meal accommodations, a travel credit equivalent to the value of their VIA Rail ticket was also issued.
VIA Rail issued a press release on January 10, 2023, acknowledging that they did not meet the expectations of their passengers. They indicated that, in addition to providing full refunds and travel credits to affected passengers, they will be working with outside experts to review their performance in response to the service disruptions. This will include reviewing their planning for the storm, operational response, protocol around customer care, overall communications and how they can better accommodate their passengers in such situations in the future.