(Montreal) The punctuality of VIA Rail trains deteriorated in 2022. The Crown corporation accuses the railway companies, which own the tracks, of being responsible.
VIA Rail’s punctuality rate fell to 57% in 2022, according to its annual report, released Monday. From 2018 to 2021, this rate was in a range between 68% and 72%.
VIA Rail does not own its tracks and uses those of railway companies, mainly those of Canadian National (CN). Without naming them, the Crown corporation accuses “the railway companies” of being responsible for its delays.
The services offered by the host railways are deteriorating, which affects the punctuality of trains, increases operating costs and could lead to a reduction in customer satisfaction and passenger revenue.
Excerpt from VIA Rai’s annual report
VIA Rail management says it is concerned about the plans of “certain host rail companies,” without naming them. Changes to their operations could “result in longer downtime and less acceptable conditions.”
VIA Rail says it is working with the host rail companies “to resolve the situation.”
The deterioration is also observed on “the Corridor”, specifies the company. This route connects Quebec City to Windsor, Ontario via Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. It represents 81% of income.
It was not possible to obtain an immediate reaction from CN, contacted earlier Monday, which operates the majority of the tracks used by VIA Rail.
More than 672 million public money
Ottawa granted 672.5 million to VIA Rail in 2022, of which just over half was used to absorb its operating loss.
In 2022, the company posted an operating loss of 354.3 million, a 4.4% improvement over last year. It also made investments of nearly 318.2 million, particularly in the replacement of its fleet.
After a difficult start to the year marked by the peak of the Omicron variant, the 2022 financial year was marked by a resumption of train travel. Ridership increased by 118.4% to 1.7 million passengers. Revenues from passengers, for their part, jumped 168% to 317.9 million.
“In 2022, we moved 3.3 million people through the more than 400 communities we serve in Canada, covering more than 1,200 million kilometres,” summarizes the chair of the board of directors, Françoise Bertrand, in a letter published in the annual report.