Specific needs

We take allergies very seriously. If necessary, we won’t hesitate to take measures to minimize your risk of exposure to a specific allergen.

Please advise us of your allergies at least 48 hours before your departure. You can also do it when you book online.

Passengers with reduced mobility or special needs can book accessible seats on the train and request assistance in station and on train. To do so, you must indicate that your booking includes a passenger with a special needs request (a maximum of two passengers with special needs applies for each online booking) when you select the number and type of passengers in your reservation. We will then invite you to complete a short form to determine your needs.

To report your allergies, you must select the “Other needs” option, then specify your type of allergies. If the options provided do not meet your needs, or if your needs meet more than one category, please call us toll-free at 1-888-VIA-RAIL (1-888-842-7245) or TTY 1-800-268-9503 (for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing) to make your booking.

Good to know!

You can complete your specific needs, assistance, or accessibility requests in your profile. Simply log in to your VIA Rail profile that includes your requests for faster and easier booking.

Accommodation process

When a customer indicates that special arrangements are required due to severe allergies, a VIA Rail Contact Centre agent will refer the request to a Customer Relations Specialist for handling. This specialist will provide a VIA Rail medical form to be completed, and accommodations will be made according to their needs and feasibility.

Examples of possible accommodations:

• Buffer zone;
• Announcements on board asking others to refrain from using products with allergens;
• Possible refrigeration and heating of meals.*

* Please note that we cannot guarantee or prevent cross-contamination when items are placed in refrigerators or warmed in microwaves on board our trains.

Helpful allergy information

At VIA Rail, we understand that specific measures may have to be taken in order to accommodate passengers who suffer from allergies. However, we can’t guarantee an allergen-free environment:

• We can’t guarantee that food and beverages served on board are free of allergens (seafood, peanuts, nuts, etc.).
• It is also impossible for us to offer a special meal that is free of allergens.
• We cannot be held responsible for allergens brought on board by other passengers or for any allergen residue that other passengers may have left on surfaces and seats.
• We cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information printed on the packaging of products which are distributed on board.

If you suffers from one or more allergies, we suggest you the following:

• Have in your possession the medications and treatments (epinephrine, asthma inhaler, etc.) that you may need;
• Bring your own food or snacks;
• Have in your possession the cleaning wipes you may need for cleansing any surfaces;
• Check the ingredients on any packaged snacks before you consume them;

Important notice

VIA Rail accepts guide dogs, service dogs and emotional support dogs on board all its trains. We also accept pets in carriers in passenger cars for trips within the Windsor-Québec City Corridor.

Due to allergies, some passengers may be uncomfortable with the presence of a cat or a dog in their car. To respond to conflicting needs on board, VIA Rail personnel will consider options, such as relocating passengers to separate areas of the train.

Accommodation process

If a customer experiences an allergic reaction on board a train, they may notify a service attendant, who will then notify the Service Manager aboard the train.

The Service Manager shall ensure that accommodations are made according to the customer’s needs, including, as necessary, discreetly reassigning the seat of either the customer who is allergic or the person(s) wearing the scented product, according to the circumstances and in the best interest of all passengers. If the customer who is allergic is seated in a mobility aid space, the Service Manager will discreetly relocate the person(s) wearing the scented product.

Helpful information

This policy is directed toward customers who are allergic to scented products. Please also see our Allergy policy, which shall continue to apply.

Passengers requiring medication during their trip must make sure they do not leave it in their checked baggage. Diabetic passengers must carry a sufficient supply of disposable syringes.

Insulin or any other medication that must be kept cool will be stored in a refrigerator, provided that the train has a dining car, or a Skyline or Park car.

Passengers requiring oxygen during their trip are asked to bring their own equipment, be it an oxygen concentrator, an oxygen bottle, or both.

To ensure access to an outlet for your respirators, please advise us of your situation at least 48 hours before your departure. You can also do it when you book online.

Passengers with reduced mobility or special needs can book accessible seats on the train and request assistance in station and on train. To do so, you must indicate that your booking includes a passenger with a special needs request (a maximum of two passengers with special needs applies for each online booking) when you select the number and type of passengers in your reservation. We will then invite you to complete a short form to determine your needs.

To report your specific needs, you must select the “Other needs” option, then select the option associated to oxygen and respirators. If the options provided do not meet your needs, or if your needs meet more than one category, please call us toll-free at 1-888-VIA-RAIL (1-888-842-7245) or TTY 1-800-268-9503 (for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing) to make your booking.

Good to know!

You can complete your specific needs, assistance, or accessibility requests in your profile. Simply log in to your VIA Rail profile that includes your requests for faster and easier booking.

Restrictions

Oxygen bottles are subject to the following restrictions:

• You may bring one (1) oxygen bottle in the passenger car.
• It must not exceed 91 cm (36 in.) in length by 15 cm (6 in.) in diameter (maximum volume of 16,000 cm3 or 1,000 in3.)
• It must be in a proper carrying device that will protect the valve assembly.

Also, please note that oxygen bottles are not accepted as checked baggage.

Important notice: Oxygen bottles are not accepted as checked baggage.

Pregnant women are welcome to travel with VIA Rail at any time during their pregnancy and do not need to provide a medical certificate.

If you think you may need assistance to carry your luggage or board the train, call 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245) or TTY 1 800 268-9503  (for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing) to inform us of your needs.

Required conditions for your minor’s safety  

• Children between the ages of 8 and 17 travelling alone are eligible for the Unaccompanied Minors service under the following conditions:   
  • If the request to travel form (including the attestation) is duly completed and signed by the parent or the legal guardian accompanying the minor to the departure station.
  • Only the parent or legal guardian can accompany the child to the departure station to complete the mandatory form.
  • Mandatory identification: The parent/legal guardian and the designated person picking up the child at the arrival station will each have to present either one piece of valid government-issued photo identification or two pieces of valid government-issued identification without photo that show their full name. The child must also present one piece of valid government-issued identification. Station and onboard policies | VIA Rail
    • The child must always have their piece of identification with them during the trip.
    • No copies or photos will be accepted.
    • No exceptions will be granted, and the minor will not be allowed to travel alone.
  • The minor will have to wear the form around his/her neck at all times.
  • A $25 fee applies for each one-way and each minor travelling alone.
  • The minor will have to travel in Economy class at a reserved seat for unaccompanied children or Business class.
  • Their journey must be completed between 05:25 am and 8:00 pm, local time on the same day.
  • An unaccompanied child may not board or disembark a train at an unstaffed station.
  • The minor is NOT PERMITTED TO DISEMBARK ALONE and must wait for the Service Manager to accompany them off the train.
  • Minors may only travel on direct trains (without connections or transfers) unless a guardian/parent can meet the minor at the connecting point (in these rare cases, the parent or guardian will have to go to a counter at the connecting station to fill out another form).
  • No unaccompanied minor can be booked on QMO (Québec City–Montreal–Ottawa). Only the following segments and intermediate staffed stations between Montreal and Ottawa, Ottawa and Toronto or Quebec City and Montreal can be booked.
  • Children aged between 8 and 12 detraining before or after the destination of the accompanying adult must be registered as an unaccompanied minor. Without the Unaccompanied Minor’s service, children aged between 8 and 12 cannot detrain alone at a station before or after the adult's destination, even if an adult is there to greet the child at the arrival gate or platform. Children under 8 must always board, travel and detrain with the accompanying adult. Youth passengers aged 13 and over may board, travel and detrain alone.
  • The minor must not suffer from any serious illness or food allergy that can cause severe intoxication or death. If this is the case, VIA reserves the right to refuse carriage of an unaccompanied minor unless a medical authorization can be obtained 48 hours prior to departure (subject to approval).
  • VIA will provide the same care and will assume the same responsibility for the child as is normally provided to an adult passenger. VIA cannot guarantee that the minor will be under supervision at all times. It is the responsibility of the parent or legal guardian to assess the child’s level of independence in order to use the service safely and effectively.
  • If a medical emergency arises on board the train whereby an unaccompanied child would require an ambulance, the child will be entrusted to the care of the paramedic or ambulance technician. A VIA employee will not accompany the child in the ambulance to the hospital.      

Tickets for minors travelling alone cannot be purchased through the website. To make arrangements for minors travelling unaccompanied, please inquire at a VIA Rail station ticket counter or contact a telephone sales agent at 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245) or TTY 1 800 268-9503 (for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who have speech disabilities).   

Only the minor's parent/legal guardian is permitted to escort an unaccompanied minor at the departure station. The designated person must be at least 18 years old to welcome an unaccompanied minor at destination.   

When bringing the minor to a station, parents/legal guardians will go:  

• Toronto: to the Special Service Desk counter.
• Montréal: to wicket #1 at the ticket counter.
• Other stations: to any ticket counter.   

Parents/legal guardians must carefully read the declaration and agree to comply with the instructions and sign the form.        

They must also take the minor to the Service Manager on the platform during pre-boarding (30 minutes before departure) and remain in the station until the train departs.   

Required conditions for your minor’s safety

Before departure   

• Bring the unaccompanied minor to the departure station at least 45 minutes prior to departure.
• Report to the information counter, the ticket office, or a VIA agent. Check where you should report to with the station beforehand.
• Do not leave the departure station until the train has left.  

Important notice: The unaccompanied minor must have sufficient funds for meals and incidental expenses. Traditional and prepaid credit cards are the only forms of payment accepted on certain trains. Click here for more information on onboard payment methods. The minor must always carry an identification card with them during the trip.    

We care for your unaccompanied minor      

VIA will provide the same care and will assume the same responsibility for the minor as is normally provided to an adult passenger.  VIA cannot guarantee that the minor will always be under supervision. It is the responsibility of the parent or legal guardian to assess the child’s level of independence to use the service safely and effectively.   

 At destination     

• The child is UNAUTHORIZED TO DETRAIN ALONE and must wait for the Service Manager to accompany them off the train.
• The designated person must visit our website or call 1 888 VIA-RAIL for the train’s arrival time. In case of a delay, the minor will remain under the occasional supervision of a VIA representative.
• The unaccompanied minor will be accompanied by a VIA employee to the arrival station. Please expect a certain delay.   

Important notice: If the person designated on the form is not at the destination station to meet the unaccompanied minor, VIA personnel will then contact that person and ask him or her to meet the unaccompanied minor within a reasonable time. If the unaccompanied minor is not picked up within this time, or if VIA is not able to contact either the designated person or the person who signed the form, the unaccompanied minor will be handed over to local police.