HIGHLIGHTS
From January 1st toDecember 31, 2023
- Total revenues increased by $197.7million (29.2%) compared to 2022 due to an increase infrequencies and higher demand;
- 4.1 million passengers rode VIA Rail trains in 2023, anincrease of 815,000 (24.7%) compared to 2022;
- The Corporation pursued its modernization with the introductionof more new trains in the Corridor and the launch of a newreservation system offering a more intuitive booking experience forour customers.
MONTRÉAL, May 14, 2024/CNW/ -More than four million passengers chose to travel bytrainin 2023 with VIA Rail marking its highest ridershipnumbers since 2019. Year over year, ridership was up 24.7 per cent,and the Corporation achieved important milestones in itsmodernization projects delivering on its vision to be the smarterway to move people.
"2023 was a pivotal year for VIA Rail as we introduced newequipment, launched a modern new reservation system, restoredseveral key train frequencies in the Québec City–Windsor corridor,and achieved a significant increase in revenues," said FrançoiseBertrand, VIA Rail's Chairperson of the Board of Directors. "Theend result is that we were able to better serve our customers andbuild the foundation for our future growth."
2023 also marked the arrival of VIA Rail's new President andChief Executive Officer, MarioPéloquin, who joined the Corporation in June. "It has beenan exciting journey to be jumping aboard at a time when VIA Railand passenger rail worldwide are inthe midst of a profoundand far-reaching transformation," said Mario Péloquin. "VIA Railhas already made substantive progress towards shaping the future ofrail travel in Canada, and in 2023we took significant steps forward, reflecting our commitment tomodernization and a better travel experience for ourpassengers."
ALL ABOARD THE NEWFLEET
The progressive entry into service of the new Corridor fleetcontinued in 2023, allowing VIA Rail to offer a more comfortable,fully accessible, and more sustainable experience to more Canadiansalong the Québec City – Windsorcorridor.
In October 2023, VIA Railofficially launched the commercial service of the new fleet on theOttawa – Toronto route. As a result, the four majorcities in the Corridor (Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa, and Toronto) and all communities in between arenow connected by these new trains. As of December 31, 2023, 12 of the 32 new train setshad been received, and the Corporation eagerly anticipatesconnecting more Canadians in the Corridor with its new fleet in2024.
A NEW RESERVATION SYSTEM FOR ANEASY AND INTUITIVE EXPERIENCE
In November, VIA Rail launched its new reservation systemoffering a simplified, more convenient, accessible, and autonomousexperience for our customers. More than an update of thereservation process, this modernization project fully overhauledall related infrastructure and systems (such as the loyalty programand point-of-sale system).
This new reservation system allows customers to enjoy newfeatures, such as autonomous seat selection, as well as asimplified process to book online for a wider variety of needs.
PASSENGERS FIRST
VIA Rail always aims for excellence. This year its efforts wererecognized in Léger's 2023 Reputation Study, where the Corporationearned the title of most reputable company in the transportationsector. VIA Rail increased its point total in the survey by 4points from the year prior and bypassed all other transportationcompanies for the first time since the launch of this study.
The study also recognized the efforts made by VIA Rail to fostera positive and inclusive company culture, by ranking VIA Rail asCanada's first employer of choiceamong transportation companies.
THE FUTURE OF VIA RAIL'SSERVICES
Across Canada, VIA Railoperates on long-distance, regional, and remote (LDRR) routes, suchas the Canadian or the Ocean. While parts of these services aregeared toward offering a unique tourist experience to Canadians andvisitors from around the world, these routes also serve as alifeline for isolated communities across the country, who rely onthem to access essential services and goods.
We are thrilled that the recent federal budget has allocatedfunding for VIA Rail to proceed with its transformative project toreplace the trains operating on our long-distance, regional, andremote routes. This significant investment marks a milestone in ourjourney to redefine passenger rail in every region of the countryover the coming years.
We'd like to thank the Government of Canada for their continued support andconfidence in our vision. This demonstrates a shared commitment toenhancing sustainable transportation across the nation.
VIA Rail's annual report is available at:https://media.viarail.ca/en/reports
About VIA Rail
VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to operate the national passengerrail service on behalf of the Government of Canada, and to provide a safe, accessible,efficient, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally responsibleservice that meets the needs of Canadian passengers. VIA Railoperates intercity trains connecting over 400 communities acrossCanada and ensuring railtransportation services to regional and remote communities. TheCorporation safely transported over four million passengers in 2023and has been awarded nine Safety Awards and three EnvironmentAwards by the Railway Association of Canada. For more, visit our website:https://corpo.viarail.ca/en.
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SOURCE VIA Rail Canada Inc.
