VIA RAIL EXTENDS SUSPENSION OF THE CANADIAN AND PRINCE RUPERT-PRINCE GEORGE-JASPER ROUTE UNTIL JUNE 1,2020

MONTRÉAL, April 6, 2020 – In light of the continued expansion of travel limitations as well as the widening of physical distancing and isolation measures, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) extends the suspension of the operations of the Canadian (service between Toronto and Vancouver) until June 1, 2020.

 

The Prince Rupert-Prince George-Jasper service will also remain suspended until June 1, 2020, due to continued infrastructure issues. 

All passengers who booked a trip during this period will be contacted and reimbursed automatically.

This includes all travel up to and including the departure of Train 1 from Toronto on May 31, 2020, and all of its subsequent stops, and the departure of Train 2 from Vancouver on June 1, 2020, and all of its subsequent stops as well.

FLEXIBILITY FOR OUR PASSENGERS 

For maximum flexibility, we have extended our cancellation policy to include all travel through July 1, 2020. Passengers can cancel or modify their reservation at any time prior to departure and receive a full refund in addition to not incurring any service charges, regardless of when they purchased their ticket. This includes all travel up to and including July 1, 2020, as well as any travel after July 1, 2020, if their outbound train is on or before July 1, 2020.

REMINDER 

VIA Rail is adjusting its operations and deploying a strict protocol of sanitary measures on board its trains, in its stations, maintenance centres and call centres in response to the pandemic and in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Furthermore, we constantly remind our passengers and employees of the importance of following the recommendations of the public health authorities, to stay at home, avoid non-essential travel, practice physical distancing as much as possible, and to strictly follow good hygiene practices (wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, cough or sneeze into a tissue or the bend of their arm, avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth without first washing their hands).

We continue to monitor the developments of COVID-19 and we remain in close contact with public health agencies and the federal and provincial governments.

 

The most recent updates are available on our website.  

About VIA Rail

As Canada’s national rail passenger service, VIA Rail (viarail.ca) and all its 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 about 180 more communities through intermodal partnerships, and safely transported over 5 million passengers in 2019. The Corporation has been awarded five Safety Awards and three Environment Awards by the Railway Association of Canada since 2007. Visit the “About VIA Rail” section at https://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail.