Canadian Railroads > The Canadian cancelled Toronto-Winnipeg and Winnipeg-Toronto

VIA had indicated today's departure from Toronto was to be delayed until 16:00 due to "infrastructure issues." (I have heard a rumour there was another derailment in northern Ontario but I have no confirmation of that.) A further announcement says it has been cancelled as far as Winnipeg. Train #2 has been cancelled at Winnipeg this evening. It appears it will turn to depart as #1 on Monday. Reservia is selling tickets for that portion.

This notice regarding #1 ex-Toronto appears on VIA's website. There is a similar notice regarding the cancellation of #2.

"Train 1 - 1st half of trip cancelled, no alternate transportation

This train has been cancelled with no alternate transportation from Toronto to Winnipeg due to rail infrastructure issues."

I read the passengers off a cancelled #2 at Winnipeg were to be flown to Toronto. I don't know what happens to the rest of them. 
Be nice if they could reroute on the CP, but they can't. 

VIA is leaving passengers to fend for themselves in Toronto and Winnipeg with just a proportional refund..  If passengers from the cancelled #1 in Toronto can make their own way to Winnipeg they can board #1 tonight (which arrived Sunday as #2) for the trip west.  

What has infuriated some  passengers is VIA has insisted they pay last-minute fares to get home from Toronto.  One man said he had to pay almost $400 to get home to Montreal from Toronto.  This is not the way VIA formerly treated stranded passengers. I would hope they would eventually be reimbursed. 

Yesterday VIA had posted a notice on their site saying no alternative transportation will be provided for #2 at Winnipeg.  The notice I read is now gone.  I have also read some reports that passengers on board #2 say they are being flown to Toronto after spending the night on board the train.  Perhaps VIA is arranging flights for people who are on board #2 when it arrived in Winnipeg but passengers planning on boarding in Winnipeg are not being provided with flights.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/26 07:31 by DrawingroomA.

Where does CN have its derailment issue?

In the late 1990s and even into the early 2000's, VIA did re-route around a CN derailment and use the CP trackage to get to Toronto, which was really cool. But not so any more.