VIA Rail Canada has reported a substantial decline in on-time performance during the first quarter of 2025, with figures falling to 30%, compared to 72% in the same period last year.
The decrease is attributed primarily to infrastructure restrictions introduced by CN Rail across the Québec City–Windsor corridor.
These restrictions have contributed to increased journey times and reduced service reliability. VIA Rail has stated that the operational limitations were imposed without prior consultation and are the subject of an ongoing legal appeal.
Passenger numbers also declined during the first quarter, down 2.7% from Q1 2024. This marks the first drop in ridership since passenger volumes began to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mario Péloquin, VIA Rail’s President and CEO, said:We want to reassure our passengers that VIA Rail’s operations are safe and fully compliant with all regulatory requirements. The service disruptions we are experiencing are the direct result of infrastructure restrictions imposed by CN, restrictions that we believe are arbitrary and unnecessary. We have formally appealed this situation in court while continuing to engage with Transport Canada with a goal of finding a resolution that restores reliable, efficient service to the millions of Canadians who depend on passenger rail.
Despite the operational setbacks, VIA Rail recorded an 8.3% year-on-year increase in revenue for the quarter. The organisation attributes this growth to continued demand for certain services and operational adjustments made in other parts of the network.
VIA Rail continues to work with Transport Canada in an effort to restore stability and improve service reliability for passengers.
The full Q1 2025 report is available here.
Jonathan Goldbloom, Chairperson of the Board, said:CN’s restrictions have severely impacted our ability to fulfill our public service mandate: on-time performance has plummeted, customer satisfaction has eroded, and confidence in passenger rail is being undermined. We will never compromise on safety and remain committed to working with our partners to put an end to this unsustainable and unjustified situation.
