Travel Advisory - Update: Due to March 7 CN derailment VIA RAIL train service between Toronto and Winnipeg cancelled

TORONTO, March 9, 2015 /CNW/ - VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) wishes to inform its customers that, due to CN derailment near the Northern Ontario Community of Gogama, Train # 1 departing from Toronto at 10 p.m. Tuesday will not operate between Toronto and Winnipeg. Service between Toronto and Winnipeg will remain cancelled until further notice. Train # 1 service between Winnipeg and Vancouver remains unaffected. It will depart Winnipeg on Thursday March 12th around 10 pm.

Affected customers:

• Have been informed of the train cancellation by email and telephone calls. 
• Those who wish to cancel will receive a full refund.
• Those desiring to change their reservation for the next train may do so at the same price but are to be informed the train may not operate as we have not been informed yet of the line clearance.
• Passengers cancelling part of their trip:
  • For train #1 – those picking up train in Winnipeg (Sleeper and Economy):      
  • 60% refund for those travelling to intermediate destinations
  • 50% refund for those travelling to Vancouver
• Customers are responsible for making their own plans for travel from Toronto to Winnipeg.
• VIA Rail will not be providing alternate transportation. 

Train #2

Until further notice, upcoming departure of Train #2 will depart Vancouver with normal service between Vancouver and Winnipeg. However, service between Winnipeg and Toronto is cancelled. VIA Rail will provide partial refunds so that passengers can make their own alternate transportation arrangements.

Passengers are advised prior to boarding that Train #2 may be terminated in Winnipeg depending on the situation and they have the following options:

1. Cancel trip and receive a full refund prior to departure
2. Exchange ticket for new departure date at same fare with no service charges
3. In case of cancellation of service between Winnipeg and Toronto, for those ending their trip in Winnipeg (Sleeper and Economy):
   a. Making alternate travel arrangements to the final destinations becomes the passenger's responsibility.
   b. Those travelling from intermediate stations will receive a 60% refund.
   c. Those travelling from Vancouver will receive a 50% refund. 

VIA Rail regrets the inconvenience this situation may cause. For more information, customers may call 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245) or 1 800 268-9503 (hearing impaired), or visit VIA Rail's website at viarail.ca.

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 450 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, and was the recipient of the 2012 Agent's Choice Award voted by Canadian travel agents and presented by Baxter Travel Media. Since 2007, the Government of Canada has invested almost a billion dollars in VIA Rail. Read more about our transformation at viarail.ca/CapitalInvestmentProjects.

Follow us on our Evolution Blog at viaevolution.ca - On Twitter @VIA_rail and @VIARailPrez - On Facebook.

SOURCE VIA Rail Canada Inc.

Maxime Dupont-Demers, Senior Advisor, Media Relations, VIA Rail Canada, 1 877 393-8787, 514 871-6137, [email protected], [email protected]