MONTREAL - Earlier today, VIA Rail Canada issued the following statement, following the government's appointment of Paul Côté as the company's president and chief executive officer : " 'I am honoured to accept this appointment,' said Mr. Côté. 'I view this as a vote of confidence by Minister Lapierre and the government in the organization, and especially in its 3,000 dedicated employees. I look forward to leading the VIA team as we innovate together cost-effectively to make VIA the Canadian leader in service excellence in passenger transportation.' " "Mr. Côté has been in the Canadian rail industry for more than 30 years. After spending six years with Canadian National Railway, he joined VIA shortly after it was created in 1977. Since then, he has been involved in almost every aspect of VIA's operations, from customer service to his recent tenure as Chief Operating Officer and appointment as acting president and CEO, a year ago. These mandates have enabled him to gain broad experience, and an in-depth understanding of Canada's passenger rail industry. As Canada's national passenger rail service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide efficient and cost effective passenger transportation services, both in Canada's busiest corridor and in remote and rural regions of the country. Serving more than 450 communities across a 14,000-kilometer network, demand for rail services continues to grow as more Canadians turn to train travel as a safe, smart and convenient travel choice.