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 its establishment in 1977, 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. In a typical year, VIA operates approximately 400 trains per week in all regions of Canada over approximately 12,500 kilometres of rail. It served more than 4.1 million passengers in 2023 and over 400 communities.
In 2023, VIA generated $431 million in revenues from its rail services. In 2023, it received approximately $382 million in operating funding, $185 million in capital funding, and an additional $206 million to complete the replacement of the 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. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted ridership, that was improving every year since 2014. However, in the second half of 2022 and through 2023 there was a significant improvement of both ridership and revenues as demand for travel has increased to a level approaching pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, VIA’s ridership exceeded 4.1 million passengers.
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.
Recently, Budget 2024 provided new funding for VIA Rail to replace its aging fleet on routes outside the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. Funding amounts are not being released to protect the government’s negotiating position for an upcoming procurement.
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: 3,668 employees in 2023