OTTAWA, Ontario — VIA Rail Canada CEO Mario Péloquin is stepping down, Canadian Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon has announced.
In a Tuesday, Dec. 16, statement, MacKinnon said he has accepted Péloquin’s resignation “effective Jan. 16, 2026, in order to enjoy retirement after a 41-year career in the industry. I would like to thank Mario for his dedication and commitment to VIA Rail over the past two and a half years, and I wish him continued success in his future endeavors.”
Peloquin took over as VIA CEO in June 2023, becoming the fourth person to hold the position in four years [see “Péloquin named CEO …,” Trains.com, May 17, 2023]. He came to VIA from a position with construction firm AECON, following stints as chief operating officer of New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Keolis, the contract operator of commuter rail service in Boston. His resume also includes time with Transport Canada, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, manufacturers Thales and Siemens, and engineering firms SNC-Lavalin and AECOM [a different company than AECON].
The CBC reports that Peloquin’s departure comes as VIA struggles with on-time performance, having issued Ca$31 million in travel vouchers to passengers were more than one hour late in the past year, and as critics argue ticket prices are too high. Last week, MacKinnon said he was “not happy at all” with the Crown corporation’’s response after passengers were stranded overnight on a train between Toronto and Ottawa [see “VIA passengers stranded …,” Dec. 11, 2025].
Contacted by Trains.com, VIA said it had nothing further to add to MacKinnon’s announcement.
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