During the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals, including Natalie Crenna, relocated from major cities to smaller towns for affordable housing and proximity to family. However, Crenna is now contemplating a return to Toronto not because her office demands in-office work but due to the escalating cost of train travel. Crenna, aged 41, based in Belleville, Ontario, approximately 190 kilometers east of Toronto, revealed to CBC News that she is shelling out around $1,200 monthly on train tickets.
Numerous commuters, traveling into major cities like Toronto from smaller towns along Via Rail’s Quebec City-Windsor Corridor, have voiced concerns about the impact of Via Rail’s pricing on their travel choices. The issue, as highlighted by passengers, is not a blanket increase in ticket prices but rather Via’s dynamic pricing model and limited options, forcing frequent travelers to pay higher fares.
Via Rail, in an email response to CBC News, clarified that its pricing strategy hinges on factors such as train occupancy and proximity to the departure date. Booking well in advance, preferably around two weeks, and opting for off-peak travel times typically secures the lowest fares, according to Via Rail.
Despite Via Rail’s average economy ticket price in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor rising by approximately 2.5% from 2022 to 2025, the root concern lies in the shift to a more dynamically fluctuating pricing structure since late 2023. This change, attributed to Via Rail’s revamped reservation system, has led to more significant fare variations, impacting regular commuters like Richard Stoltenberg from Cobourg, Ontario.
Operating as a Crown Corporation funded by the federal government, Via Rail faces the challenge of balancing cost recovery with government pressure to minimize subsidies. The shift towards dynamic pricing has left many commuters, such as Sonja Smith from West Lorne, Ontario, feeling the pinch as previously affordable fares have become less accessible.
While Via Rail offers discount cards for frequent travelers, restrictions on applying these discounts to certain fare classes and promotional fares have left some passengers feeling that the savings are limited and sometimes not worth the investment. As a result, individuals like Smith, who once advocated for rail travel, are now reevaluating its affordability.
Despite Via Rail’s suggestion to book off-peak travel times for lower fares, commuters like Crenna find limited flexibility and affordability in the current pricing model. With only one early morning train option into Toronto being the most expensive, the lack of flexibility and affordability has made long-term commuting via rail seemingly impossible for many.