Transport Minister Vows to ‘Get to the Bottom’ of Via Rail Breakdown That Stranded Passengers for 10 Hours

Passenger trains sit on the tracks at the Via Rail Canada Maintenance Centre in Montreal, Feb. 22, 2024. The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi

Canada’s transport minister said he plans to investigate a recent train delay that left more than 200 Via Rail passengers stranded for 10 hours in Quebec over the long weekend.

What was supposed to be a three hour and 12 minute ride between Montreal and Quebec City became a nearly 14-hour ordeal after passengers were stranded following two train breakdowns.

Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez said he plans to meet with Via Rail leadership this week.

“This is unacceptable and we will get to the bottom of this,” he said in an X post on Sept. 1. “Passengers deserve better.”

Via Rail confirmed in an email to The Epoch Times that train 622 broke down between Drummondville and Quebec City on Aug. 31 after experiencing two consecutive mechanical issues. Train 622 is part of the company’s new fleet of trains.

“Unfortunately, the mechanical issues could not be repaired on-site, and no buses were available to offer alternative transportation,” a company spokesperson said.

Passenger Rudy El Maghariki said Via’s crew “seemed unsure” of how to handle the breakdown “or what steps to take next.”

“We were left without food, water, toilets, or communication,” he said in a social media post. “Eventually, they moved us to a fully packed train.”

Via said power, air conditioning, and toilets remained functional “most of the time,” except for some cuts during repair attempts and the coupling with another train that towed train 622.

Video footage of an incident circulating on social media shows a Via Rail employee appearing to snatch a passenger’s phone out of his hands as tensions escalated on board the stalled train.

Via Rail said the phone snatching incident “will be the subject of a thorough investigation and appropriate measures will be taken based on the findings of the review.”

“We are committed to providing exceptional customer service and ensuring that all passengers are treated with respect and dignity,” the company spokesperson said.

The company also said its passengers were offered drinks and snacks throughout the day. A meal was also delivered on board, before the passengers were transferred to the Ottawa-Quebec train, the company spokesperson said.

The passengers reached Quebec City at approximately 10 p.m., 10 hours after the expected arrival time of just before noon, the company said.

“VIA Rail understands this unfortunate situation impacted the travel plan of its passengers and offers its deepest apologies for the inconvenience caused,” the spokesperson said.

The company said all affected passengers were offered a full refund and a 100 percent travel credit for a future journey.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.