Travel Advisory - VIA Rail cancels trains between Toronto and Winnipeg - Tracks northwest of Sudbury blocked by CN freight accident

MONTREAL, Feb. 15, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) wishes to inform its passengers that, due to a CN freight train derailment blocking the main line some 180 km northwest of Sudbury, trains #1 and #2 (the eastbound and westbound Canadian) operating between Toronto and Winnipeg will not operate until confirmation has been received from CN that the rail line is again passable. Service between Winnipeg and Vancouver is not affected.

VIA Rail will provide alternate transportation to customers already en route or scheduled to board the train today, for those passengers travelling between Toronto and Winnipeg, in both directions.

VIA Rail is communicating with customers who have reservations on the affected trains to or from other locations between Winnipeg and Toronto, many of which are inaccessible. VIA Rail regrets the inconvenience that this situation may cause. Customers wishing to cancel or change their date of travel may do so at no additional charge by calling 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245) or 1 800 268-9503 (hearing impaired).

An update will be issued once it is known when regular service will resume.

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 http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/capital-investment.

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

SOURCE VIA Rail Canada Inc.

Malcolm Andrews, VIA Rail Canada, 1 514 946-4160, 1 877 393-8787, [email protected]