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Free WiFi

VIA Rail is proud to provide complimentary Wi-Fi service on board most of its trains, in its Business station lounges and in select stations in the Québec City – Windsor corridor.

Travellers on the Ocean train (Montréal – Halifax) are now also able to enjoy free Wi-Fi in the service cars adjacent to the dining car. Wireless Internet service is offered in the service car of The Ocean. Please note that it might be difficult to connect in the Matapédia Valley due to network availability.

Browsing the Internet, checking e-mail and visiting social networking web sites are all permitted. However, we ask you refrain from streaming videos and from downloading or uploading large files. VIA Rail restricts the use of Wi-Fi to anyone using excessive bandwidth: downloading speed will be reduced to 1 Mbps after 200 MB of download. If you are using a video conference service, please be respectful of your fellow passengers and wear your earphones.

If onboard Wi-Fi service is unavailable, under no circumstances will a refund be provided. Please note that when you access the onboard Wi-Fi network, VIA Rail collects some of your connection information such as your Media Access Control (“MAC”) address. This information is collected for technical and statistical purposes. Our Privacy policy is available on the VIA Rail website.


By agreeing to use the free Wi-Fi onboard, a client releases VIA Rail from any liability with respect to: performance and operation of the network network content and integrity, accuracy and confidentiality of data communicated on the network any damage directly or indirectly caused by the use of the network, notably to your computer, your software or your data.

How to connect

  1. Activate the Wi-Fi function on device.

    Connect to “VIA_WiFi_VIDEO”. In stations, select “VIA_Station” wireless network.

    Launch your web browser and go to

    Select your preferred language.

    Accept the Terms & Conditions

Wi-Fi coverage area

Note: VIA currently provides Wi-Fi mobile service only in the Québec City –Windsor corridor. “Good” to “very good” signal strength is offered within more than 98% of the coverage area determined by our mobile partners. Users may experience weaker signal strength in the Trenton-Cobourg, Chatham-Kent and Hyde Park (London) regions of Ontario. To ensure more reliable service and better performance for all users, VIA reserves the right to limit bandwidth use and deny access to certain web sites, including certain video streaming sites.

For assistance, please contact our service provider at 1 866 905-6784 or email us at support@viawifi.ca

1 866 905-6784

or email us at

support@viawifi.ca

To check if Wi-Fi is available on board your train, call 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245) or (TTY) 1 800 268-9503 (hearing impaired).

Please note that wireless Internet is not available on the following trains:

  • Trains 97 and 98 (Toronto – Niagara Falls – New York)

In stations

Travellers in all classes of service may benefit from our complimentary Wi-Fi service in many of our Québec City-Windsor corridor stations and in our exclusive pre-boarding Business lounges:

  • Dorval*
  • Fallowfield
  • Kingston*
  • London*
  • Belleville
  • Montréal*
  • Ottawa*
  • Québec City*
  • Sainte-Foy
  • Toronto**
  • Windsor

* Stations with Business lounges.

** Wi-Fi only available in Business Lounge.

Complimentary Wi-Fi access is also available in the following stations throughout our network:

  • Edmonton
  • Halifax
  • Jasper
  • Moncton
  • Vancouver
  • Winnipeg

FAQ

I’m unable to connect to the onboard Wi-Fi on my Apple device.

  1. On your device (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), go to Settings and tap on Wi-Fi.
  2. Select VIA_WIFI_VIDEO. Then, on the next screen, tap Forget this network option.
  3. Turn off Wi-Fi for a few seconds and then turn it on again.
  4. Select VIA_WIFI_VIDEO.
  5. Select your preferred language and agree to the terms and condition on the portal to access the internet.

My Apple device keeps getting kicked off the Wi-Fi.

Our onboard Wi-Fi technology is cellular-based. Since the cellular coverage is not perfect where our trains travel, web browsing may sometimes lag for a few seconds.

When this happens, your device may automatically switch to cellular data use, making it appear that you’ve been kicked off our Wi-Fi network.

Follow these steps to resolve the issue:

  1. On your device (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), go to Settings.
  2. Select Mobile Data.
  3. Scroll down and tap the Wi-Fi Assist slider to turn it off.

How do I know if my laptop or handheld device is Wi-Fi enabled?

Verify if you have an icon for a wireless card in the “Start” menu. Click on the icon to check if your wireless card is enabled. If the wireless card is not enabled, you must activate it.

How do I begin a session?

Turn on your laptop and launch your web browser. A portal box will automatically appear where you will be able to Select your preferred language.. Once your language selected, you will be able to set your SSID (service set identifier) to “VIA_WiFi_VIDEO” or to “VIA_Station”.

Can I connect to my VPN (virtual private network)?

The service does support a number, but not all, VPN's (Virtual Private Networks). If your VPN is not supported, then please let us know by emailing us at support@viawifi.ca.

What is the best way to use the VIA Rail wireless Internet service?

It's always best to start your browsing through a non-secure or private web site, such as our own at viarail.ca.

I launched my browser, but the portal did not launch. What happened?

If you do not see the portal, you may need to set your SSID to “VIA_WiFi_VIDEO” while on board, or “VIA_Station” when in the station. If it still does not respond, make sure that your computer or compatible handheld device is compliant with the standard 802.11b/g/n (backwards compatible) norm.

I started my session from Standby (or Sleep) and the portal did not launch. What do I do?

Simply re-boot your system and try again.

Why did my session end abruptly?

You might have closed the pop-under window that opened when you logged on (closing this window temporarily or permanently terminates the session). You might also have switched trains or disembarked. In this case, re-boot, then re-enter your user name and password.

For technical support or additional information, please call 1 866 905-6784, anytime.