VIA Rail Sustainable Mobility Report 2016: Innovating mobility for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

2016 HIGHLIGHTS

• -27% reduction in GHG emissions since 2009
• 4.6% increase in number of passenger trips since 2014, a total of 3.97 million
• +63% increase in passenger volume from inter-modality since 2012
• -42% reduction in the number of train incidents since 2015 as a result of our strengthened safety culture
• $71.9M investment in safety and efficiency
• 29% increased average hours of training per employee

MONTRÉAL, April 21, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) released today its 2016 Sustainable Mobility Report describing the company's commitment, programs and performance related to sustainability. The report outlines VIA Rail's vision to provide smarter, inclusive and more sustainable options to move people in a safe, accessible and efficient way, while connecting communities and contributing to the de-carbonization of Canada's transportation systems.

As a members of the International Union of Railways (UIC), VIA Rail made important progress on its global commitments under COP 21 to reduce its carbon footprint and support a shift towards more sustainable transportation while still increasing its ridership by 4.6% since 2014. Based on 1990 levels, the company reduced its energy consumption by 38% and its GHGs by 39%, positioning it well to achieve the UIC reduction targets of 40% and 50%, by 2030 and 2050, respectively.

The 2016 Sustainable Mobility Report describes VIA Rail's accomplishments and goals across six pillars: customer experience, socioeconomic development, safety, environment, being an attractive employer, and governance.

"Sustainable mobility is about contributing to a more sustainable transportation system for Canada in a way that enables economic prosperity, improves quality of life and provides more environmentally responsible mobility options," said Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail. "VIA Rail can play a key role in shaping our country's social and economic evolution towards a more sustainable future. As we celebrate Canada's 150^th anniversary we want to make our service the greener and smarter way to travel in Canada for the generations to come."

Governing Sustainable Mobility Responsibly

In 2016, VIA Rail laid solid foundations for its Sustainable Mobility Strategy by officially entrenching it into its operations up to the Board level. The Governance, Risk & Strategy Committee of the Board will provide oversight on the implementation of the Sustainable Mobility Strategy. To shape the strategy and ensure alignment with corporate objectives, a Sustainability Deployment Team with multi-functional representation is charged with executing the Sustainable Mobility action plan, track performance and communicate progress to VIA Rail's Management Committee and ultimately, its Board of Directors.

This newly established sustainable mobility governance framework will ensure a high level of accountability while helping focus on the concrete actions needed to effectively embed sustainable mobility principles into the business.

VIA Rail's Sustainable Mobility Report is available to download at: www.viarail.ca

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail (viarail.ca) and its 2,700 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. For more information, visit: www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail.

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SOURCE VIA Rail Canada Inc.

Mariam Diaby, Media Relations, VIA Rail Canada, 514 871-6010 | 1 877 393-8787, [email protected] | [email protected]