VIA Rail enhances Business class

New Ergonomic Seating, New meals, Personalized Service and Greener Trips

MONTREAL, April 8, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Business class travelers on VIA Rail's Corridor routes can now experience many of the upgrades recently made to its Business class service - refurbished lounges, a more spacious environment on-board, a greener and more comfortable trip, new meals and more personalized service. The improvements to Business class have been rolling out over the past few months. October 2014 will see the completion of all 26 new Business class cars.

Highlights of VIA Rail's new Business class experience include:

Priority welcome. The VIP treatment begins even before the ticket is purchased. VIA Rail has created priority ticketing and check-in lines for Business class and top-tier members of its loyalty program, VIA Préférence.

Relaxing lounges. As part of rail station upgrades, all seven Québec City-Windsor corridor Business lounges – in Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, London, Dorval, Québec City and Kingston – have been completely refurbished. The new lounges provide a private, comfortable retreat with beverages, magazines and newspapers. Work stations and free Wi-Fi are also provided. In Montréal, Toronto and Ottawa, Business class lounges have a full business center with PC and Mac computers and a colour laser printer. Business class travelers in Toronto also have access to a separate area for meetings on the go.

VIP treatment on-board. Business class travelers have priority boarding. From the moment they board, travelers will notice the personalized service such as hot towels, soft drinks and snacks, and a full bar service (included) which starts at 11 a.m. VIA Préférence Premier members (top level members), will receive additional recognition such as priority meal orders.

Delicious Meals. There's nothing like being served hot bread with a good meal – that's just one of the little perks passengers will experience in the new Business class. Starting with breakfast, travelers will enjoy a full meal complemented by a large mug of fresh coffee. During both lunch and dinner, passengers can choose from a selection of gourmet cold or warm meals and savor a glass of wine. All beverages are included in Business class.

Plugged in. Business travelers can stay connected on-board VIA Rail. Complimentary Wi-Fi access is available on all trains in the Québec City-Windsor corridor, enabling passengers to stay productive while traveling. In addition, every seat has its own electrical outlet.

Seats that have your back. VIA Rail researched the top ergonomic seating manufacturers to redesign its seating, with a focus on safety and comfort. The new seats, still as accommodating as the previous seats, have a slim-line, sports-car feel with strong lumbar support engineered specifically for long trips. The firmer seats support back muscles so travelers arrive feeling more rested.

Roomy cars, with personal space. In Business class, the new seat design opens the sight lines to the windows, making the cars brighter and more spacious. The renovated cars offer passengers more space and additional leg-room, thanks to the new two-by-one seat  configuration, which has one less seat per row.

This new layout provides generous buffering between passengers. Under-chair mechanisms have been removed so travelers can now stretch their legs under the seat in front of them, and armrests can be raised for further comfort. New individual side trays, which include a drink‑holder, ensure a comfortable distance between passengers. These separated seats provide even greater privacy.

Going green. The new Business class cars are more efficient and more environmentally friendly. VIA Rail replaced heavy mechanical equipment and installed more efficient lighting and climate control systems and energy use is now monitored to maximize efficiency. VIA Rail is committed to making travel by train the most environmentally sustainable option for Canadians, and international travelers.

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide safe, efficient and economical travel, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500 km network. VIA Rail safely transports nearly four million passengers annually and was the recipient of the Railway Association of Canada's Safety Award in 2012 for the 11^th time in 12 years, and of Baxter Travel Media's 2013 Agent's Choice Award (voted on by Canadian travel agents). Since 2007, the Government of Canada has invested more than a billion dollars in VIA Rail. Learn more about our transformation at viarail.ca/transformingvia.

Follow us on our blog at viaevolution.ca, on Twitter @VIA_Rail and on Facebook.

SOURCE: VIA Rail Canada Inc.

M Silver - A Division of Finn Partners: Maria Castro/Erica Cohen, Tel: [phone], [email protected], [email protected]; VIA Rail Canada: Mylène Bélanger, Senior Advisor, Media Relations, VIA Rail Canada, Tel: [phone] | 1.877.393.8787, [email protected]