Mandate:
VIA Rail Canada Inc. (VIA) is a Crown corporation mandated to operate the national passenger rail services on behalf of the Government of Canada, offering intercity rail services and ensuring rail transportation services to regional and remote communities. Its objective is to offer a safe, accessible, efficient, reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly passenger rail service that meets the needs of Canadian passengers.
Since 1978, VIA has operated Canada’s national rail passenger network, 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 approximately 225 train departures weekly.
In a typical year, VIA generates approximately $400 million in revenues from its rail services. In 2022, it received approximately $354 million in operating funding, $147 million in capital funding, and $171 million to replace the existing aging fleet on the Québec City – Windsor Corridor (i.e., Fleet Replacement Program).
In 2019, VIA’s ridership exceeded 5 million passengers, its best ridership ever on its existing network and its highest annual ridership in the last three decades. However, the exceptional challenges of 2020 and 2021, when the transportation sector faced unprecedented impacts due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, made it impossible for VIA to continue the positive ridership trend that began in 2014. In the second half of 2022 and into 2023 there has been significant improvement of both ridership and revenues as demand for travel has increased.
In March 2022, the Government of Canada issued Orders in Council authorizing and directing VIA to incorporate a wholly owned subsidiary with a mandate to develop and implement the High Frequency Rail project including the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of passenger rail services in Ontario and Quebec through one or more agreements with the private sector, in cooperation with the Minister of Transport.
On November 29, 2022, VIA HFR – VIA TGF Inc. (VIA HFR) was incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act.
Profile:
Chief Executive Officer: Mario Péloquin
Chairperson of the Board of Directors: Françoise Bertrand
Board of Directors: No less than three, but no more than thirteen directors (including the Chief Executive Officer)
Size: 3,234 employees