File photo: VIA train at Cobourg train station on first day of protest, February 6, 2020
Senior Director of Corporate Communications with VIA Rail has issued an update on the state of rail service.
Marie-Anna Murat said as of Monday, February 17 at 5 pm, VIA Rail’s services are still cancelled with the exception of Sudbury-White River (CP Rail) and Churchill-The Pas (Hudson Bay Railway), until further notice.
Passengers holding a ticket for which the first trip’s scheduled departure is no later than Sunday, February 23, have the option of autonomously cancelling online for a full refund with no service charges, even if additional segments fall after February 23. Passengers may also get a refund for a return ticket scheduled after February 23, as long as the first portion of the trip was scheduled no later than that date.
All details on the refunding procedure are available on our website: http://www.viarail.ca/en/travel-advisory-information.
Currently, VIA Rail has cancelled all affected departures until the end of the day on Wednesday, February 19, and all customers should have received a cancellation notice.
Cancellations are made on a progressive basis, depending on the evolution of the situation. As soon as we confirm that a train will be cancelled, passengers on that train will be notified by email and will be automatically reimbursed. Due to the volume of transactions that we process in these exceptional circumstances, reimbursement can take a minimum of 15 days.
As of February 17, 470 trains have been cancelled because of the blockades. More than 94 000 passengers have been affected.
Our passengers rely on VIA for regular and safe intercity rail service and we are eager to resume operations.
We remain hopeful for an end to the situation as soon as possible and encourage all relevant parties to continue their efforts towards a peaceful resolution.
Another update will be issued tomorrow, February 18 at 5 pm, EST.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
