VIA Rail salutes World Water Day 2011; reaffirms commitment to a healthier environment

MONTRÉAL, March 22, 2011 – VIA Rail Canada is pleased to support World Water Day 2011.  In 1992, the UN General Assembly designated March 22 as the World Day for Water, with the goal of raising public awareness of the urgency for better water management and conservation worldwide.

As the country’s national passenger rail service, VIA’s trains serve communities large and small from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and north to Hudson Bay.  Much of that network is built along waterways, and VIA takes its responsibility to respect and protect this valuable resource seriously.

VIA has embraced the environment, making it one of its key corporate goals, and is investing in real solutions for more sustainable, water-sensitive public transportation options for Canadians today, and for years to come.

Examples of actions VIA is taking now include investing millions of dollars for new potable water systems in stations, fewer water tanks on the 100-car LRC fleet, toilets that use less water per flush on all refurbished cars, and a system to recycle rinse water in its train “car wash” operations. In total, these initiatives alone will conserve hundreds of thousands of liters of water annually.

For more information on World Water Day 2011, go to www.worldwaterday.org, or www.unwater.org, or visit www.onedrop.org to learn about a uniquely Canadian approach to this global challenge.

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada’s national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide efficient, more environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation, in the country’s two official languages. Every week VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500 kilometers route network. The demand for VIA services is growing as travellers increasingly turn to train travel as a safe, hassle free and environmentally responsible alternative to congested roads and airports.