VIA RAIL HELPS THOUSANDS OF TRAVELLERS OUTSMART WINTER

HIGHLIGHTS - February 16

CORRIDOR EAST (INCLUDES ALL TRAINS FROM OPERATING BETWEEN QUÉBEC CITY, MONTREAL, OTTAWA & TORONTO)
8,586 passengers
39% increase compared to an average Tuesday

MONTREAL-OTTAWA-TORONTO TRIANGLE ONLY
6,838 passengers 43% increase compared to an average Tuesday

Montréal, February 17, 2016 – While snow, freezing rain and high winds made travel challenging throughout eastern Ontario and southern Quebec yesterday, some 8,600 people outsmarted winter by leaving their cars at home and travelling with VIA Rail. This represents an increase of 39% compared to an average Tuesday. On routes linking Québec City, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, VIA Rail pulled out all the stops to meet the additional demand, adding cars where possible and boosting the number of employees in the call centers, in stations and on board.
“Once again yesterday, travellers put their trust in us to get them safely to their destinations,” remarked Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, VIA Rail’s president and CEO. “Savvy travelers already know that the train is a smarter way to travel, for a whole host of reasons. Storms like yesterday’s give us an opportunity to show that to even more customers. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of colleagues across the region, we were able to meet this peak demand, bring all our passengers to their destinations, and provide the exceptional service for which VIA Rail is known and recognized.”

Some 45 trains were scheduled on all affected routes yesterday. 100% of them operated. Despite significant snow accumulation and freezing rain, 95% of these trains arrived on time or with a slight delay.

VIA Rail began its Outsmart Winter campaign earlier this year. It includes increased communications and advertising in the hours leading up to major storms, making it easier for people to plan their travel and avoid weather-related problems. VIA Rail has also assigned employees in major stations specific greeting and directional duties to make passengers feel welcomed and to ensure that their trip is easy and enjoyable.

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail (viarail.ca) and its 2,500 employees are mandated to provide safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across Canada, and safely transports nearly four million passengers annually. The Corporation was awarded seven Safety Awards by the Railway Association of Canada over the last eight years. For more information, visit : www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail.