The La Pocatière Train Station Re-Opens its Doors - New Partnership Between the City and VIA Rail

MONTREAL, March 1, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Thanks to a new partnership, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) and the municipality of Ste-Anne-De-La-Pocatière, Québec, are pleased to announce that the waiting room of the La Pocatière train station is now open to the public.

As part of a program to revitalize underused train stations throughout Canada, VIA Rail offered to make its heritage station available to the municipality for use by the community and as a waiting room for its passengers. Negotiations are underway and further improvements will be considered, including renovations and other possible community or regional services that could eventually be housed in the station.

"We are very pleased that the city has been so open to the idea of restoring this historic building," said the President and CEO of VIA Rail, Yves Desjardins-Siciliano. "From now on, our customers in this region can enjoy a warm and comfortable waiting room, while residents will be able to use it for other community activities. We hope that this collaboration will serve as a model and inspire other Canadian communities with under-used stations," he said.

The Mayor of Ste-Anne de la Pocatière, Mr. Rosaire Ouellet, also voiced his support. "This station has occupied an important place in the lives and hearts of the people here and throughout Kamouraska for more than one hundred years. We greatly appreciate how VIA Rail representatives have been sensitive to our needs in all our discussions. We hope to speak more about other interesting aspects of this project in the coming weeks," he said.

The Ocean train, which runs between Montreal and Halifax, stops three times per week in each direction at Ste-Anne de La Pocatière. The station is equipped with a timed door-opening system synchronized with the train schedule. The doors will open one hour before train arrivals and close an hour after departures, allowing passengers to wait for their train in peace and quiet.

For information or to reserve, go to www.viarail.ca or call 1-888-VIA-RAIL (1-888-842-7245) or 1 800 268‑9503 (TTY for the hearing impaired).

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada (viarail.ca) and its 2,500 employees are mandated to provide safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across Canada, and safely transports nearly four million passengers annually. The Corporation was awarded seven Safety Awards by the Railway Association of Canada over the last eight years. Visit the About Via Rail section on our website at http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail. 

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SOURCE VIA Rail Canada Inc.

For further information: Malcolm Andrews, Corporate Communications, VIA Rail Canada, 514 946-4160, 1 877 393-8787, [e-mail], [e-mail]