VIA Rail announced a significant surge in passenger count to start the year.
For the first quarter of 2023, VIA Rail saw an increase in ridership of 106.5 per cent, or 451,200 passengers. The Montreal-based company also saw an increase in revenues of 147.1 per cent for the same period.
"VIA Rail's activities bounced back during the first quarter of 2023 surpassing the record levels that we set in 2019," said Marie-Claude Cardin, VIA Rail's Chief Financial Officer. "Our Q1 performance reflects the resilience of the Corporation, the dedication of our employees and the appetite of Canadians for train travel. At the same time, we are continuing to work at mitigating the effects of an inflationary environment on our business while pursuing our commitment to sustainability and passenger satisfaction."
A total of 874,700 passengers chose to travel with VIA Rail between JAN and March, which the corporation credits to the reintroduction of additional frequencies year over year frequencies year over year across the network. The rollout of VIA Rail’s new fleet of trains for the Québec City-Windsor corridor also contributed to Q1 growth, with more passengers travelling on the new train between Montreal and Ottawa.
Looking forward, Chair of the Board, Françoise Bertrand, expressed confidence.
"As Canadians enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to travel once again it is clear that the relevance of passenger rail is stronger than ever because it is the smarter way to travel. We are confident that VIA Rail’s strategic investments in our modernization will ensure that we meet the expectations of our customers and continue to deliver a comfortable, efficient, accessible, passenger rail service that meets the needs of Canadians," said Bertrand.
Regarding the corporation's sustainability plan, introduced in APR 2022, VIA Rail has implemented key changes as of Q1 2023, including the removal of plastic cups, resulting in a 25 per cent decrease in plastic use; reduced sandwich packaging; and completed in-class training of more than 70 per cent of employees working on board trains to improve recycling and prepare for the zero-waste objective.
In FEB, VIA Rail was recognized by Forbes as one of Canada’s Best Employers 2023.
