ON BOARD VIA RAIL FOR THE EASTER HOLIDAYS: PASSENGERS CHOOSE LONGER DISTANCES

Montréal, April 20, 2017 – Continuing the growth that began in 2014, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) carried more than 73,000 passengers over 24 million kilometers during the Easter holidays, representing an increase of 2.5% compared to 2016. During this period, the Corporation saw a 3% growth in revenue compared to Easter Weekend 2016. Thursday, April 13^th was the busiest day of the long weekend, and Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa were the most popular destinations.

“Our passengers opted to travel longer distances on our trains to spend the Easter long weekend with their families. Our results reflect our passengers’ strong interest in train travel for their getaways. Choosing the train allowed them to leave their cars at home and maximize their relaxation time while also reducing their environmental footprint - not to mention the amazing views,”said Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, VIA Rail’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

VIA Rail worked to ensure that the Easter long weekend travellers enjoyed a memorable getaway and were able to maximize their holiday time, from the moment they stepped on board. Across the country, frontline employees were dedicated to serving passengers and preparing the trains to make their travel as enjoyable as possible. In the Québec City-Windsor corridor, capacity was increased on the most popular trains in order to give travellers more flexibility.

Joining family and friends across the country during Easter
To visit family and friends, travellers are opting more and more for the comfort and safety of VIA Rail trains, especially over longer distances. Thanks to our travel options that connect more than 400 communities, including 50 in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, VIA Rail passengers were able to choose from several destinations over the long weekend. In the Corridor, the majority of the 330 train options ran through Windsor, London, the Greater Toronto Area, the Bay of Quinte, the Thousand Islands region, the National Capital Region, the Saint Lawrence Valley, and the Québec City region.

Additionally, nearly 2,000 people boarded VIA Rail's long-distance trains, the Canadian and the Ocean, during the Easter long weekend.

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail (viarail.ca) and its 2,600 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 about 180 more communities through intermodal partnerships, 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.