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Ctmfrwl 400/196$} ESTABLISHED * MAY 1975 VOLUME 46/NO 20, JULY 15, 2020 SA JO fJCDf Mf/ilt/fi/jl QuebecSS

VIA Rail may reinstate service in November Partial service ruled out between now and then

Gilles Gagne services onboard/’ explains ber to the people of other posed of different types (of) “The current year has been Karl-Philip Marchand-Giguere, provinces, or allow their own cars, and with two locomotives filled with unprecedented chal­ NEW RICHMOND - spokesperson for VIA Rail. In citizens to easily return if they equipped with features allowing lenges: first with the blockades plans to resume operations be­ other words, servicing a long leave the Maritimes. for back to back operations, in February and now with the tween and Halifax route like Montreal to Matape­ “We always respect the de­ thus negating the need to turn ongoing pandemic. We have with its Ocean train in Novem­ dia is currently ruled out. cisions of the provincial health the trains in Halifax. The se­ made every effort to protect our ber, at a date that has not yet The COVID-19 service halt authorities/’ specifies Karl- lected coach cars are equipped employees to the best of our been determined. The possibil­ also allowed VIA Rail to pro­ Philip Marchand-Giguere. So, with seats that can be turned in abilities against the impacts of ity of offering a. service on a. ceed with a thorough inspection VIA Rail will not reinstate the order to be aligned with the di­ the service reductions/* de­ partial secti on of the M ontreal- of all its rolling stock, a rare oc­ Ocean train in November if rection of travel and ensure op­ clared Cynthia Garneau, VIA stretch is not in currence for the transporter. and Nova Sco­ timal comfort for passengers/* Rail’s president and chief exec­ VIA Rail’s plans. “That inspection allowed us tia are blocking their borders to the transporter recently com­ utive officer, The Ocean train service was to find a problem with some of people from outside then. municated in a press release. “Unfortunately, as we don’t suspended indefinitely in mid­ our stainless steel cars, a crack Would VIA Rail be willing As VTA Rail continues its anticipate ridership to be back March because of the measures that must be repaired. In fact, it in those conditions to resume recently announced accelerated to pre-COVID-19 levels in the adopted to limit the spread of is currently under repair at a some sendees on the Quebec inspection program, the exact foreseeable future, we have had COVID-19. speed that we could never have part of the Ocean course in the eon figuration will be finalized to make difficult decisions to Since then, VIA Rail has re­ reached had all the passenger context of the Maritimes still by late summer 2020. Also onec deal with the situation as we instated many routes with a re­ cars been in service. We were in blocking their border to passen­ finalized, the product o fieri ng gain a better understanding of duced frequency, mostly day a position to accelerate the ger trains? “1 don’t know/’ and service delivery require­ the impact of the pandemic on trains linking destinations situ­ process/* says Mr. Marchand- replies Mr. Marchand-Giguere. ments will be adjusted accord­ our operations/’ she adds. ated. in the Quebec City1' to Giguere. ingly, also mentions the VIA Rail is aware that this is Windsor corridor, but not ex­ Why is VIA Rail only com­ Halifax loop document. a very difficult situation for its clusively there. ing back in November? “It is problem resolved employees and their families Except for the Winnipeg to difficult to predict the resump­ Temporary layoffs and we will take care of them Churchill train, considered an tion of traffic over the long-dis­ Meanwhile, VIA Rail re­ through this period of transi­ essential service because there tance links because we have to solved the problem created at As lhe COVID-19 pan­ tion. is no road linking most loca­ offer all the services like those the beginning of2020 when the demic continues to impact the The employees affected will tions, all the long-distance on the and Ocean Port of Halifax informed the travel industry globally, VIA receive a temporary written lay­ trains were suspended, and are trains. In the kitchen of the din­ passenger transporter that the Rail announced on July 8 “the off notice which respects the gradually being brought back. It ing car, for instance, we have to loop used at the Haltcrm con­ difficult decision to temporarily terms of the collective agree­ is the case for the Montreal- figure out how it is possible to tainer terminal to reverse the lay off approximately LOGO ments. These temporary layoffs Scnnctcrrc, Montreal-Jon- keep a two-metre distance be­ Ocean train would no longer be unionized employees/* the will take effect on July 24, quicrc, Sudbury-White River tween two cooks working to­ available this coming Novem­ transporter specified in another 2020. To accompany its em­ and the Jasper-Prince Rupert gether in a limited space/’ he ber. press release. ployees during these challeng­ service over its whole length. explains. That particularity had many While VIA Rail has ob­ ing times. VIA Rail will be Could VIA Rail resume op­ Since the first stages of the commuter transport observers served recent positive develop­ maintaining access to different erations on the Ocean train be­ pandemic, the Maritime public worried about the future of the ments in service resump I ion, programs. tween Montreal and Matapedia, health authorities have pre­ Montreal-Halifax train. many routes are still inter­ It is also mentioned in the for example, to serve its Quebec vented people from the rest of “In order to address this rupted. This has therefore led press release that VIA Rail clientele, given the absence of from going to New issue, VIA Rail is pleased to an­ VIA Rail to reconsider its ap­ “continues to work on advanc­ the Oilcans Express bus service Brunswick, Nova Scotia and nounce an operational plan that proach in order to further adjust ing its service resumption plan and recent Air Canada cuts? Prince Edward Island, barring a will allow to continue operating to lhe increasing financial im­ as the situation evolves with the “Except for the Winnipeg to few exceptions. It is far from the Ocean without access to the pacts this crisis has had on Lhe objective of reintegrating its Churchill train, there is no lug­ certain that they would open Halterm rail loop. VIA Rail will company, also mentions the employees as soon as the cus­ gage, no food and no sleeper their borders again in Novem­ be using a new hybrid com­ press release. tomer demand allows it/’