Via Rail has decided to delay a trial initiative that aimed to have trains travel directly between Montreal and Toronto, bypassing multiple stops in eastern Ontario. The original plan was to kick off direct service between Canada’s top two cities on September 29, offering passengers a “downtown-to-downtown travel” experience and reducing travel times by 30-40 minutes on select routes.
However, Via Rail announced on Monday that the pilot project has been put on hold due to “operational challenges with our rail partner, CN,” which had faced criticism from elected officials along the train route. Via Rail expressed intentions to collaborate with CN further to explore potential solutions that could enable the testing and eventual launch of direct service in the future.
Notably, authorities in Kingston, Ontario, where trains would have made five fewer stops each day, were vocal opponents of the initiative. They emphasized the importance of not neglecting the communities along the rail corridor between Montreal and Toronto in favor of enhancing service between the major cities. Mayor Bryan Paterson stressed the significant population residing along the route and cautioned against undermining their market.
Megan Knott, CEO of Tourism Kingston, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the necessity for increased rail services rather than reductions and labeling the proposed changes as “devastating.” Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen of Kingston and the Islands expressed strong disappointment with the decision and pledged to address the matter with Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon.
Despite facing opposition, Via Rail affirmed its commitment to pursuing direct service between Montreal and Toronto, citing that 70% of its passengers had requested such a service. The corporation emphasized the significance of this initiative in advancing more efficient passenger rail services in Canada. Via Rail also issued an apology to affected passengers who were inconvenienced by the pilot and offered them the option to adjust their bookings at no additional cost by contacting Via’s customer service team.