Mandate:
VIA Rail Canada Inc.’s (VIA’s) is a Crown corporation who’s mandate is to provide a safe, efficient and reliable passenger rail service.
Since 1978, VIA has operated Canada’s national rail passenger network on behalf of the Government of Canada, with services in the Windsor–Québec City Corridor, long-haul routes in Eastern and Western Canada, and services to remote areas of Canada. VIA operates nearly 500 train departures weekly on 12,500 kilometres of track. Pre-pandemic (2018), VIA carried 4.74 million passengers.
In a typical year, VIA generates approximately $400 million in revenues from its rail services, and receives $300 million in operating and $100 million in state-of-good-repair capital funding. VIA revenues dropped 80% in the calendar year 2020, and the corporation has been operating at 10% of typical revenue and ridership in 2021. To relieve the pending operating shortfall from much-diminished revenues in 2020, the government approved $187.5 million in relief funding, half of which was re-profiled to similar purpose in this fiscal year. While demand is beginning to increase, VIA does not forecast full recovery until 2024.
Profile:
Chief Executive Officer: Cynthia Garneau
Chairperson of the Board of Directors: Françoise Bertrand
Board of Directors: Thirteen directors (including the Chief Executive Officer)
Size: 3,110 employees