Tour Operator - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, our new reservation system has now launched!  We hope you enjoy the new features. If you need further assistance, we are here for you and our Agency Support team is happy to assist.  Please note that wait times may be longer than usual during the transitional period.

Training videos can be found here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl1xdeFTrFI72ss_jR78w4MVTz4VpIX8F&feature=shared

Yes, VIA Rail works with tour operators and offers set discounts based on established revenue targets. To register and sell itineraries using VIA Rail trains, operators must demonstrate a plan to earn and maintain a minimum revenue of $25,000/year and combine rail tickets with other tour components in travel packages. VIA Rail tickets must not be sold on their own and outside of packaged travel.  
For more information or interest in registering as a tour operator to sell VIA Rail tickets and products, please contact our Agency Support desk.

Registered tour operators with VIA Rail will have a unique 8-digit account number issued to them. If your company does not have an account established with VIA Rail or the number has been forgotten, please contact Agency Support.

If your company is not registered with VIA Rail as a tour operator partner, please contact our Agency Support desk for assistance. To expediate the process please provide the following information to help us review your request: Full Company Name, Contact Information, website with links to Canadian product and a brief overview of how you plan to sell VIA Rail tickets and the regions of Canada you are interested in.

New passwords must be created to gain access to the new agency portal.  All tour operators with an active account will be able to access the booking portal once the password reset is complete.  Please use the reset password link on the main page of the tour operator portal and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Most itineraries requiring stop-overs on our long distance routes or itineraries with multiple stops should be booked as separate one-way reservations.

Most VIA Rail products can be purchased online, including rail tickets and accommodation in our sleeper cars. Items that cannot be purchased online include irregular rooms (e.g., family suites), rooms with an irregular number of passengers, gift cards, groups of ten or more passengers, etc. To purchase these products for your clients, please contact us directly.

We offer an environment where everyone can travel autonomously and confidently. To ensure the greatest ease and comfort of travel, we also provide special assistance services.  We are happy to share that many of these can now be booked directly online.  If the service you require is not available for online booking please speak with an Agency Support or Customer Service agent.
To review the services available to our passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility please visit: https://www.viarail.ca/en/plan/accessibility
Please note that when booking a service for a passenger with a disability or reduced mobility, VIA will require you to provide the passenger’s contact email in order to send them written confirmation of their requested service as required by Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) of the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA).

Our Agency Support team is here to help. They’re available Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Outside of these hours, please contact our customer service desk.

Our new reservation system will allow you to make most changes online. If you need to make a change that is not permitted online (ex. name change, origin or destination) we recommend that you rebook the new itinerary first and then cancel the original booking (change fees may apply depending on the chosen fare rules). If you haven’t done this before and/or require assistance, please contact the Agency Support desk and they’ll walk you through the process.

Seat or cabin selection is available excluding Escape Economy fares and can be done directly online.

You can learn more about our baggage policy.

Our website has a wealth of information on these routes, as well as videos that explain the travel experience. You may also wish to download our PDF guide featuring cabin configurations and on-board services. For more information, please visit: Salesbox Via Rail (salesbox-viarail.ca)