BROCKVILLE, Ontario — Cascading delays following a mechanical issue with one train led to VIA Rail Canada passengers being stuck on Ottawa-Toronto trains overnight before finally being transferred to another train, arriving at their destination more than 12 hours late.
The problems have continued today, with some trains arriving more than five hours late, although it is unknown if those delays are related to the Wednesday issues.
As reported by the CBC, the issues began with train No. 669 from Montreal to Toronto, which experienced a mechanical failure, according to VIA. After that 6:09 p.m. departure from Montreal broke down, some 127 passengers were transferred to another train and arrived in Toronto after a delay of more than eight hours.
That breakdown then disrupted two Toronto-Ottawa trains, No. 48 (a 5:38 p.m. departure) and No. 54 (a 6:38 p.m. departure). VIA informed customers that the trains were held near Brockville “due to serious mechanical issues” that engineers were unable to resolve. After initially attempting to obtain buses, the company eventually transferred some 168 passengers to today’s train No. 50, a 6:32 a.m. departure from Toronto, which arrived in Ottawa at 11:59 a.m. Nos. 48 and 54 had been due in Ottawa at 10:13 p.m. and 11:11 p.m., respectively, on Wednesday.
“Our priority is the safety of our passengers,” VIA spokesman Karl Helou told the CBC, “so we preferred to keep [them] on a train where there was heat, where they received food, beverages, blankets.” Helou called the service problem “is absolutely unacceptable,” and said the company will do its due diligence in reviewing the incident.
Today, meanwhile, Ottawa-Toronto trains 641 (scheduled to depart at 4:13 am.) and 41 (a scheduled 5:21 a.m. departure) both departed late and operated together from their first stop after departure, Fallowfield, Ont. They arrived in Toronto at 2:27 p.m., five hours, 40 minutes late and four hours, 26 minutes late, respectively. As of 4:50 p.m. CT, five other VIA corridor trains are shown as operating one hour, 17 minutes late to four hours, 2 minutes late.
— Greg Gormick contributed information to this report. To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
