VIA Rail Canada apologizes to its customers who were impacted by service disruptions over the holiday season and will be offering full refunds to affected passengers, as well as travel credits.
VIA Rail Canada President and CEO Martin R. Landry acknowledged that the company has failed to meet customer expectations in a statement released Tuesday.
He explained that the severe winter storm that swept across the east of the country around Christmas Day and the derailment of a freight train disrupted VIA Rail’s operations from December 23 to 26.
The combination of these two factors forced VIA Rail to cancel or delay several departures, particularly in the Quebec City – Windsor corridor.
Mr. Landry recalled that these two elements were beyond the control of the Crown corporation, but he acknowledged that VIA Rail should have better communicated information concerning delayed or canceled trains to its customers.
Therefore, the carrier intends to offer full refunds and travel credits to passengers who have experienced disruptions, and it is also committed to analyzing its performance during this four-day period with the help of external experts.
This review will look at storm planning, operational response, customer service protocols and overall communications.