Editing Via Rail (section)

==History==
===Background===
{{See also|History of rail transport in Canada}}
[[File:19680706 15 CN Rapido Pickering, ON.jpg|thumb|[[Canadian National Railway|CNR]] [[Rapido (train)|Rapido]] train cars in [[Pickering, Ontario|Pickering]], July 1968. In an effort to attract riders, new train cars were acquired by CN in the 1960s.]]
Yearly passenger levels on Canada's passenger trains peaked at 60 million during [[World War II]]. Following the war, the growth of air travel and the personal automobile caused significant loss of [[mode share]] for Canada's passenger train operators. By the 1960s [[Canadian National Railway]] (CN) and the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] (CP) found that passenger trains were no longer economically viable. CP sought to divest itself of its passenger trains, but federal government regulators and politicians balked, forcing them to maintain a minimal service through the 1970s, with the government subsidizing up to 80 percent of losses. CN, being a [[Crown corporations of Canada|Crown corporation]] at that time, was encouraged by the federal government and political interests to invest in passenger trains. Innovative marketing schemes such as ''Red, White, and Blue'' fares, new equipment such as scenic [[dome car]]s and [[Budd Rail Diesel Car|rail diesel car]]s, and services such as [[Rapido (passenger train)|Rapido]] and the [[UAC TurboTrain]] trains temporarily increased numbers of passengers, reversing previous declines.<ref name="nelligan">{{cite book |title=Via Rail Canada: The first five years |first=Tom |last=Nelligan |publisher=[[Passenger Train Journal|PJT Publishing]] |year=1982 |isbn=0-937658-08-1}}</ref>{{rp|4–5}}

These increases proved temporary; by 1977, total passenger numbers had dropped below five million. The decline of passenger rail became a federal election issue in 1974 when the government of [[Pierre Trudeau]] promised to implement a nationwide carrier similar to [[Amtrak]] in the United States. Starting in 1976, CN began branding its passenger services with the bilingual name Via or Via CN. The Via logo began to appear on CN passenger locomotives and cars, while still carrying CN logos as well. That September, Via published a single timetable with information on both CN and CP trains, marking the first time that Canadians could find all major passenger trains in one publication. In 1977, CN underwent a dramatic restructuring when it placed various non-core freight railway activities into separate subsidiaries, such as ferries under [[CN Marine]], and passenger trains under Via Rail which was subsequently renamed Via Rail Canada.<ref name="nelligan" />{{rp|6–9}}

===Formation and early years===
[[File:Discontinued VIA Rail train, Ontario Northland Station, Cochrane, Ontario.jpg|thumb|A Via Rail train at [[Cochrane station (Ontario)|Cochrane station]] in August 1978. Earlier that year, [[Canadian National Railway|CNR]] and [[Canadian Pacific Railway|CPR]] passenger rail service were spun off into Via Rail Canada.]]
On January 12, 1977, CN spun off its passenger services as a separate Crown corporation, Via Rail Canada. At its inception, Via acquired all CN passenger cars and locomotives. Following several months of negotiation, on October 29, 1978, Via assumed all CP passenger train operations and took possession of cars and locomotives. Passenger train services which were not included in the creation of Via Rail included those offered by [[BC Rail]], [[Algoma Central Railway]], [[Ontario Northland Railway]], [[Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway]], various urban commuter train services operated by CN and CP, and remaining CN passenger services in [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]]. At this time, Via did not own any trackage and had to pay right-of-way fees to CN and CP, sometimes being the only user of rural branch lines.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

Via initially had a tremendous variety of equipment—much of it in need of replacement—and operated routes stretching from [[Sydney, Nova Scotia]], to [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia]], and north to [[Churchill, Manitoba]]. Over 150 scheduled trains per week were in operation, including transcontinental services, regional trains, and [[Quebec-Windsor Corridor|corridor]] services.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

While Via remains an independent federal Crown corporation mandated to operate as a business, it is hindered by the fact that it was created by an [[order in council]] and not from legislation passed by [[Parliament of Canada|Parliament]]. Had Via been enabled by legislation, the company would be permitted to seek funding on the open money markets as other Crown corporations such as CN have done in the past. It is largely for this reason that critics say Via—like [[Amtrak]] in the United States—is vulnerable to federal budget cuts and continues to answer first to its political masters, as opposed to the business decisions needed to ensure the viability of intercity passenger rail service.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/via-rail-seeking-federal-budget-funding-for-1-3b-passenger-car-upgrade-in-toronto-montreal-corridor |author=Jason Fekete |title=Via Rail seeking federal budget funding for $1.3B passenger car upgrade in Toronto-Montreal corridor |publisher=National Post |date=February 29, 2016 |access-date=March 2, 2016}}</ref>

===1980s===
[[File:Roger Puta shot VIA LRC-2 6903 at Port Hope, ON in October 1981 (34282991950).jpg|thumb|The [[LRC (train)|LRC]] in [[Port Hope, Ontario|Port Hope]], October 1981. Via Rail ordered the LRCs in the 1980s to replace its older train cars.]]
In 1981, Prime Minister [[Pierre Trudeau]]'s government endorsed [[Minister of Transport (Canada)|Minister of Transport]] [[Jean-Luc Pépin]]'s plan which slashed Via's budget, leading to a 40 percent reduction in the company's operations. Frequently sold-out trains such as the ''[[Super Continental]]'' and the popular ''[[Atlantic (passenger train)|Atlantic]]'' were discontinued. The retrenchment of the former reduced Via to operating only one transcontinental train, ''[[The Canadian]]''.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

Via also sought to reduce its reliance on over 30-year-old second-hand equipment and placed a significant order with [[Bombardier Transportation]] for new high-speed locomotives and cars which would be used in its corridor trains. The [[LRC (train)|LRC]] (Light, Rapid, Comfortable) locomotives and cars used advanced technology such as [[Tilting train|active tilt]] to increase speed, but proved troublesome and took several years to work out problems (by 1990 only a handful of LRC locomotives remained in service which were subsequently retired by the arrival of the [[GE Genesis]] locomotives in 2001).{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

The election of [[Brian Mulroney]]'s [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] government in 1984 brought an initial friend to Via, when several of Mulroney's commitments included rescinding the Via cuts of 1981 by restoring the ''[[Super Continental]]'' (under pressure from his western caucus), and the ''[[Atlantic (passenger train)|Atlantic]]'' (under pressure from his eastern caucus and then-[[Saint John, New Brunswick|Saint John]] mayor [[Elsie Wayne]]). Prime Minister Mulroney's government gave Via funding to refurbish some of its cars, and purchase new locomotives, this time a more reliable model from [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]] diesel division.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

It was during this time on February 8, 1986, that Via's eastbound [[Hinton train collision|''Super Continental'' collided with a CN freight train]] near [[Hinton, Alberta]], as a result of the freight train crew missing a signal light, resulting in 23 deaths.

By the late 1980s, inflation and other rising costs were taking their toll on federal budgets and in the Mulroney government's [[1989 Canadian federal budget|1989 budget]], Via again saw its budget slashed by $1 billion,<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Drost |first1=Philip |last2=Desson |first2=Craig |date=January 1, 2023 |title=What we can learn about the future of rail from its past |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whatonearth/rail-travel-canada-1.6681160 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101090556/http://www.cbc.ca/radio/whatonearth/rail-travel-canada-1.6681160 |archive-date=January 1, 2023 |access-date=January 7, 2024 |work=CBC |url-status=live }}</ref> surpassing even the 1981 cuts under Trudeau.

===1990s===
[[File:VIA 6501 with Train 109 at Regina, SK in May 1982 (32098880841).jpg|thumb|left|A Via [[EMD FP7|GMD FP7]] leads the ''[[Canadian (train)|Canadian]]'' in Regina, May 1982. The ''Canadian'' was rerouted in the 1990s, ending service to several cities, like Calgary.]]
Minister of Transport [[Benoît Bouchard]] oversaw the reduction in service on January 15, 1990, when Via's operations were reduced by 55 percent.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} The privatization of CN rail in 1995 also negatively affected service as it resulted in an effective monopoly, with Via trains having to yield to CN trains.<ref name=":1" />

Services such as the ''[[Super Continental]]'' were again discontinued, along with numerous disparate rural services such as in [[Nova Scotia]]'s [[Annapolis Valley]] and [[Cape Breton Island]], [[western Canada]], and in the corridor. ''[[The Canadian]]'' was also moved from its home rails on CP to the northerly CN route (previously plied by the ''Super Continental''). The shift to the less populated route between [[Toronto]] and [[Vancouver]] severed major western cities such as [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]] and [[Calgary, Alberta|Calgary]] from the passenger rail network and flared western bitterness toward the [[Government of Canada]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

The official justification for the rerouting was that the trains would serve more remote communities, but the concentration of ridings held by the Progressive Conservatives along the CN route attracted the charge that the move was chiefly political. [[Harvie André]], one of Alberta's federal cabinet ministers who represented Calgary, stated publicly that he did not care if he never saw a passenger train again in his life.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

The Mulroney cuts allowed Via to consolidate its fleet of cars and locomotives, resulting in a fleet of refurbished stainless steel ([[head end power|HEP]]-1 and HEP-2 rebuilds) and LRC cars, as well as rationalizing its locomotive fleet with GM and Bombardier (LRC) units.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

Via was not spared from further cutbacks in [[Jean Chrétien]]'s [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] government elected in 1993. Minister of Finance [[Paul Martin]]'s first budget in 1994 saw further Via cuts which saw the popular ''[[Atlantic (passenger train)|Atlantic]]'' dropped from the schedule, focusing the eastern transcontinental service on the ''[[Ocean Limited|Ocean]]''. CP had sold off a large portion of track the ''Atlantic'' had operated on and, as Via at that time was only mandated to provide passenger services on tracks belonging to CN or CP, the route was discontinued.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} This move was seen as somewhat controversial and politically motivated as the principal cities benefiting from the ''Atlantic''{{'s}} service were [[Sherbrooke]], Quebec, and [[Saint John, New Brunswick]], where the only two Progressive Conservative Party [[Members of Parliament]] in Canada were elected in the 1993 federal election in which Chrétien's Liberal Party took power. The ''Ocean'' service which was preserved currently operates on track between Montreal and Halifax running through the lower St. Lawrence River valley and northern New Brunswick. The Minister of Transport in Chrétien's government at the time, [[Doug Young (politician)|Douglas Young]], was elected from a district that included [[Bathurst, New Brunswick]], on the ''Ocean''{{'s}} route. A remote Via service to Quebec's [[Gaspé Peninsula]], the ''[[Chaleur (passenger train)|Chaleur]]'' was also spared from being cut at this time, despite carrying fewer passengers than the ''Atlantic''.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

====Renaissance funding====
[[File:19961012 08 Amtrak E. Lansing, MI.jpg|thumb|A Via locomotive leads the ''[[International (Amtrak train)|International]]'' with [[Amtrak]] coaches. The International route was jointly operated by Via and Amtrak from 1982 to 2004.]]
By the late 1990s, with a rail-friendly Minister of Transport, [[David Collenette]], in office, there were modest funding increases to Via. Corridor services were improved with new and faster trains, a weekly tourist train, the ''[[Bras d'Or (train)|Bras d'Or]]'', returned Via service to [[Cape Breton Island]] for the first time since the 1990 cuts, and a commitment was made to continue operating on [[Vancouver Island]], but western Canada continued to languish with the only service provided by the ''Canadian'' and a few remote service trains in northern BC and Manitoba.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

In a significant new funding program dubbed "Renaissance", a fleet of unused passenger cars which had been built for planned ''[[Nightstar (train)|Nightstar]]'' sleeper services between locations in the United Kingdom and [[Continental Europe]] via the [[Channel Tunnel]] were purchased and adapted following the cancellation of the ''Nightstar'' project. The new "[[Renaissance (railcar)|Renaissance]]" cars were swiftly nicknamed ''déplaisance'' ("displeasure") by French-speaking employees and customers, due to early problems adapting the equipment for Canadian use. Doors and toilets froze in cold Atlantic Canada temperatures, resulting in delays and service interruptions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.transport2000.ca/Hotlines/hl040130.htm |title=Transport 2000 Hotline |publisher=Transport2000.ca |date=January 30, 2004 |access-date=March 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110420150023/http://www.transport2000.ca/Hotlines/hl040130.htm |archive-date=April 20, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> New diesel-electric [[GE Genesis|P42DC]] locomotives purchased from [[General Electric]] (GE) allowed the withdrawal of older locomotives, including remaining LRCs. LRC passenger cars were retained and continued to provide much of the Corridor service. This expansion to Via's fleet has permitted scheduling flexibility. Additionally, many passenger stations have been remodelled into passenger-friendly destinations, with several hosting co-located transit and regional bus hubs for various municipalities.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

===2000s===
[[File:VIA 66 with 901.JPG|thumb|right|Via Rail [[P42DC]] pulling [[LRC (train)|LRC]] coaches towards Montreal]]
On October 24, 2003, federal Minister of Transport David Collenette announced $700 million in new funding over the next five years. This funding was below the $3 billion needed to implement a high-speed rail proposal in the [[Quebec City-Windsor Corridor]] nicknamed [[ViaFast]]; however, the funding was intended to "provide for faster, more frequent and more reliable passenger service across Canada... [preserving] the option for higher speed rail, such as the Via Fast proposal," said Collenette. This new project was to be called "Renaissance II".<ref>{{cite news |title=Via upgrades to cost $700 million |url=http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/10/24/train031024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040605025751/http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/10/24/train031024 |archive-date=June 5, 2004}}</ref>

On December 18, 2003, Liberal [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] (PM) [[Paul Martin]] froze federal spending on all major capital projects, including Via's five-year $700&nbsp;million "Renaissance II" program announced just six weeks earlier by outgoing PM Chrétien's administration. Critics of Martin's cuts claimed that he was in a conflict of interest as his family through [[Canada Steamship Lines]] and various subsidiary and affiliated companies had once had a significant investment in the [[Voyageur Colonial Bus Lines]], an intercity bus line in Quebec and eastern Ontario that was a key competitor of Via.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

Routes cut under the Martin government included the seasonal ''[[Bras d'Or (passenger train)|Bras d'Or]]'' tourist train, which ran for the last time in September 2004, and the Montreal-Toronto overnight ''[[Enterprise (Via Rail train)|Enterprise]]'', which was discontinued in September 2005. The Sarnia-Chicago ''[[International Limited (passenger train)|International]]'' was also discontinued in April 2004 by Amtrak. Via's portion of the route from Toronto-Sarnia remained in operation as Via was able to use their own equipment to operate the train.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

====Sponsorship scandal====
{{See also|Sponsorship scandal}}
The federal [[Auditor General of Canada|Auditor General]]'s report released on February 10, 2004, showed what appeared to be a criminal misdirection of government funds intended for advertising to key Quebec-based supporters of the [[Liberal Party of Canada]]. Included in the Auditor General's report was the fact that Via was used as one of several federal government departments, agencies, and Crown corporations to funnel these illicit funds. Forced to act on the Auditor General's report due to its political implications, Martin's government suspended Via President [[Marc LeFrançois]] on February 24, 2004, giving him an ultimatum of several days to defend himself against allegations in the report or face further disciplinary action.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

Several days later during LeFrançois's suspension, former Via marketing department employee [[Myriam Bédard]] claimed she had been fired several years earlier when she questioned company billing practices in dealing with advertising companies. (According to [[CBC News]], an arbitrator's report later concluded that Bédard had voluntarily left Via.) She was publicly belittled by Via CEO [[Jean Pelletier]] in national media on February 27, 2004. Pelletier retracted his statements but on March 1, Pelletier was fired. By March 5, after failing to defend himself adequately against the allegations in the Auditor General's report, LeFrançois was fired as well.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

====Increasing problems and reinstated funding====
[[File:Qualicum Beach Station 3.jpg|thumb|left|Via RDCs at [[Qualicum Beach station]], a stop on [[Victoria–Courtenay train]]. The Victoria–Courtenay service was suspended in March 2010.]]
The reversal of funding in 2003 led to a backlog of deferred maintenance and left Via unable to replace or refurbish life-expired locomotives and rolling stock. Conversely, Via ridership increased from 3.8&nbsp;million in 2005 to 4.1&nbsp;million in 2006.<ref name="VIAMoney2007">{{cite news |title=Via gets hundreds of millions in federal funding |publisher=[[CBC News|CBC]] |date=October 11, 2007 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/via-gets-hundreds-of-millions-in-federal-funding-1.676328 |access-date=October 11, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012231440/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/10/11/via-money.html |archive-date=October 12, 2007}}</ref> On October 11, 2007, Finance Minister [[Jim Flaherty]] announced federal government funding of $691.9&nbsp;million over five years (of which $519&nbsp;million was for capital projects and the remainder additional operating funding). The capital funding was earmarked to refurbish Via's fleet of 54 [[EMD F40PH|F40PH-2]] locomotives to meet new emissions standards and extend their service lives by 15–20 years, refurbish the interiors of LRC coaches, reduce track capacity bottlenecks and speed restrictions in the Windsor-Quebec City Corridor, and make repairs to a number of stations across the network.<ref>{{cite web |title=Backgrounder: New Funding For Via Rail Canada |publisher=Via Rail |date=October 11, 2007 |url=http://www.viarail.ca/investmentprogram/pdf/en_plan_financement.pdf |access-date=October 23, 2007 |archive-date=October 25, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025065420/http://www.viarail.ca/investmentprogram/pdf/en_plan_financement.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

This announcement was similar in content to the previous "Renaissance II" package, and once again was criticized for not including new equipment or funding for services outside the Windsor-Quebec City Corridor. Shortly afterwards, documents obtained by [[the Canadian Press]] under the ''[[Access to Information Act]]'' revealed that delays due to equipment failures had risen by 60 percent since the previous year. The company attributed this to problems with the aging F40 locomotive fleet.<ref>{{cite news |title=Via train late? You're not alone |publisher=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=October 20, 2007 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071020.wvialate1020/BNStory/National/home |access-date=October 23, 2007 |location=Toronto |first=Dean |last=Beeby |archive-date=March 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314071554/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071020.wvialate1020/BNStory/National/home |url-status=live }}</ref>

On January 27, 2009, the Government of Canada's 2009 Economic Action Plan increased funding to Via by $407 million to support improvements, including increased train frequencies and enhanced on-time performance and speed, particularly in the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto corridor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canada's Economic Action Plan |publisher=Department of Finance of Canada |date=January 27, 2009 |url=http://www.budget.gc.ca/2009/plan/bpc3d-eng.html |access-date=December 28, 2011 |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307083600/http://www.budget.gc.ca/2009/plan/bpc3d-eng.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On July 21, 2009, Via began cancelling all trains in anticipation of an engineers' strike, which officially began at midnight on July 24. Engineers had been without a contract since December 31, 2006.{{update inline|date=March 2020}} Full service resumed on July 27.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.viarail.ca/en/update |title=Update: Strike Action—Via Rail Canada cancels all services effective immediately |publisher=Via Rail Canada Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725082035/http://www.viarail.ca/en/update |archive-date=July 25, 2009}}</ref> An additional strike by the [[Canadian Auto Workers]] (CAW) union, representing around 2,200 employees, was planned to begin on July 4, 2010, but was called off after the union and Via reached a three-year contract.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=23693 |title=Via Rail, CAW reach tentative agreement to avoid strike |publisher=Progressive Railroading |date=June 28, 2010 |access-date=June 29, 2010}}</ref>

===2010s===

[[File:Thecanadiannearjasper.jpg|thumb|A Via [[EMD F40PH|F40PH-2]]D in [[Jasper, Alberta|Jasper]], February 2011. Via's fleet of F40PH-2Ds were refurbished in the late-2000s to meet emission standards.]]
Via experienced more service cuts at the dawn of the 2010s. In March 2011, the daily Victoria–Courtenay ''[[Victoria–Courtenay train|The Malahat]]'' RDC service on Vancouver Island was suspended indefinitely due to deteriorating track (it has yet to resume). By June 27, 2012, Via announced additional service cuts due to funding issues:
* The ''Canadian'' was reduced from three days a week to two days a week beginning November 2012; service operated twice weekly November–April and thrice weekly May–October until 2019. In 2019, only two trains per week operated on the full route, while the third train ran only between Vancouver and Edmonton once a week in each direction.
* The ''Ocean'' was reduced from six days a week to thrice weekly beginning October 2012.
* [[Corridor (Via Rail)|''Corridor'']] services west of Toronto were reduced, with weekend service reductions to [[Montreal]] and [[Ottawa, Ontario]].<ref name="cuts2012">{{cite press release | url=http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/media-room/latest-news/1819/27-june-2012-via-rail-continues-its-modernization-and-takes-action-to-better-meet-customer-demand | title=Via Rail continues its modernization and takes action to better meet customer demand | publisher=Via Rail | date=June 27, 2012 | access-date=June 27, 2012 | archive-date=November 9, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109202144/http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/media-room/latest-news/1819/27-june-2012-via-rail-continues-its-modernization-and-takes-action-to-better-meet-customer-demand | url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''Corridor'' services to Sarnia and the Niagara region were reduced to once daily in October 2012, with additional taking effect in July 2012. Sarnia was left with a single daily round-trip.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theobserver.ca/2012/06/27/via-train-service-to-sarnia-cut-in-half |title=Via train service to Sarnia cut in half |access-date=July 6, 2012 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115194238/http://www.theobserver.ca/2012/06/27/via-train-service-to-sarnia-cut-in-half | archive-date=January 15, 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Niagara Falls, Ontario|Niagara Falls]] lost all service except the joint Amtrak-Via daily [[New York City]]-Toronto ''[[Maple Leaf (train)|Maple Leaf]]'' service,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2012/06/27/niagara-travelers-impacted-by-via-cuts |title=Niagara travellers impacted by Via cuts |access-date=July 6, 2012 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115204553/http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2012/06/27/niagara-travelers-impacted-by-via-cuts | archive-date=January 15, 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> although Toronto regional commuter service was later provided by [[GO Transit]].
* ''Corridor'' services to Kitchener,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.therecord.com/news-story/2607419-via-rail-blames-low-ridership-for-cuts-to-kitchener-service/ |title=Via Rail blames low ridership for cuts to Kitchener service |access-date=July 6, 2012 |archive-date=October 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018013008/http://www.therecord.com/news-story/2607419-via-rail-blames-low-ridership-for-cuts-to-kitchener-service/ |url-status=live }}</ref> London,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://metronews.ca/news/london/279361/london-area-hit-hard-by-nationwide-via-rail-cuts/ |title=London area hit hard by nationwide Via Rail cuts |access-date=July 6, 2012 |archive-date=February 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221183328/http://metronews.ca/news/london/279361/london-area-hit-hard-by-nationwide-via-rail-cuts/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Windsor<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/06/28/via-rail-cuts-means-fewer-trains-tofrom-windsor/ |title=Via Rail cuts means fewer trains to, from Windsor |access-date=July 6, 2012 |archive-date=July 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704095048/http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2012/06/28/via-rail-cuts-means-fewer-trains-tofrom-windsor/ |url-status=live }}</ref> were reduced starting in October 2012, with at least two daily round trips surviving.
* In September 2013, the [[Montreal – Gaspé train|Gaspé]] service, which had been [[Rail replacement bus service|"bustituted"]] in 2011, was suspended indefinitely.<ref>{{cite web |title=Via Rail service between Matapédia, New Carlisle and Gaspé suspended |url=http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/media-room/latest-news/66251/22-august-2013-via-rail-service-between-matapedia-new-ca |access-date=August 23, 2013 |archive-date=August 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826020945/http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/media-room/latest-news/66251/22-august-2013-via-rail-service-between-matapedia-new-ca |url-status=live }}</ref>

To address declining on-time performance due to freight train traffic on Via routes, MP [[Olivia Chow]] drafted a private member's bill in 2014 that would reorganize the company and allow the government to force freight rail carriers to give scheduling priority to public passenger rail. However, as with most private member's bills, it was not passed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://openparliament.ca/bills/41-2/C-577/ |title=Bill C-577 Via Rail Canada Act: An Act respecting Via Rail Canada and making consequential amendments to another Act |last=Chow |first=Olivia |access-date=May 2, 2020 |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724113541/https://openparliament.ca/bills/41-2/C-577/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Global News">{{Cite news |last=De Souza |first=Mike |last2=Robinson |first2=Megan |date=March 11, 2020 |title=Does Via Rail's survival depend on a new route through Ontario and Quebec? |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6635203/via-rail-survival-hfr/ |access-date=May 3, 2020 |publisher=[[Global News]]}}</ref>

====Service improvements====
The Quebec-Windsor corridor was the focus of service restorations and implements. A direct Ottawa-Quebec City train was restored, with additional trips between Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto being added. In 2016, LRC passenger cars used for the corridor were refurbished; in the Via 1 class, this included single seating.
[[File:Via Rail Canada 150, 2017 (20170814 170743).jpg|thumb|left|A passenger car adorned in [[Canada 150]] livery, August 2017. For the country's sesquicentennial, Via released a special youth rail pass.]]
In March 2017, Via announced the release of a new category of rail pass valid for the month of July 2017 (corresponding to Canada's sesquicentennial celebrations) for youth aged 18–25, costing $150 (several hundred dollars cheaper than a comparable rail pass would typically cost). A larger than expected response resulted in the temporary loss of functionality for Via's website. Despite plans to cap the number of passes sold at 1867 (the year of [[Canadian Confederation]]), over 4,000 passes were ultimately sold. The company received significant backlash, as it initially appeared there was no limit on the number of passes available.<ref>{{cite web |title=Via Rail's $150 passes for unlimited travel sold out |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/via-rail-passes-sold-out-1.4047338 |access-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-date=May 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180531211625/http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/via-rail-passes-sold-out-1.4047338 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Extreme winter conditions had always been an operational hazard for Via, with the Ottawa routes and ''Canadian'' being most vulnerable.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/winters-extreme-weather-made-trains-extremely-late-via-rail-reports/article675745/ |title=Winter's extreme weather made trains extremely late, Via Rail reports |work=The Globe and Mail |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309030244/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/winters-extreme-weather-made-trains-extremely-late-via-rail-reports/article675745/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Equally, summer repairs and construction often delayed trains systemwide, even though schedules were regularly adjusted in an attempt to minimize delays.<ref name="auto2"/>

However, by 2018, freight traffic on the heavily used CN lines had become a significant concern for maintaining on-time service.<ref name="auto5">{{cite web |title=2018 Annual Public Meeting Questions and Answers — Part 1 |url=https://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/files/media/pdfs/About_VIA/our-company/annual-public-meeting/2018%20ANNUAL%20PUBLIC%20MEETING-Part%201.pdf |publisher=Via Rail Canada |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125115919/https://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/files/media/pdfs/About_VIA/our-company/annual-public-meeting/2018%20ANNUAL%20PUBLIC%20MEETING-Part%201.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto4">{{Cite web |url=https://vancouversun.com/opinion/opinion-will-the-liberals-save-via-rail |title=Opinion: Passenger-train service falling off the rails |work=Vancouver Sun |date=August 29, 2016 |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125115921/https://vancouversun.com/opinion/opinion-will-the-liberals-save-via-rail |url-status=live }}</ref> This issue arose due to typical siding sizes, which were not long enough to accommodate modern freight trains. Passenger trains were consequently placed on sidings whenever two trains passed (rather than freights), which meant that passenger trains did not have priority on CN lines.<ref name="auto3">{{Cite news |url=https://www.thesudburystar.com/news/local-news/via-train-chronically-late-rail-advocates |title=Via train chronically late: Rail advocates |date=October 22, 2018 |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604093100/https://www.thesudburystar.com/news/local-news/via-train-chronically-late-rail-advocates |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto6">{{Cite news |url=https://www.railwayage.com/freight/whats-holding-up-vias-canadian/ |title=What's holding up Via's Canadian? (Updated) |date=May 30, 2018 |work=[[Railway Age]] |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604094604/https://www.railwayage.com/freight/whats-holding-up-vias-canadian/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The issue existed in all parts of the Via network, although it became most extreme on the ''Canadian'', where delays increased from an average of five hours to as much as 50 over the four-day journey.<ref>{{cite news |last=Small |first=Kaylen |date=May 24, 2018 |title=Pain on the train: Via Rail passengers frustrated with delays on cross-Canada journey |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/via-rail-train-delayed-from-toronto-to-vancouver-1.4675680 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-date=November 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191126224256/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/via-rail-train-delayed-from-toronto-to-vancouver-1.4675680 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto6"/><ref name="auto3"/> Via ultimately addressed the issue by eliminating its late policy on its cross-Canada trains but retaining it for the ''Corridor'' routes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.viarail.ca/en/travel-info/booking/travel-credits |title=Travel credits |website=www.viarail.ca |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604093057/https://www.viarail.ca/en/travel-info/booking/travel-credits |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto4"/> However, Via continues to compensate inconvenienced guests with necessary hotel accommodations prior to the journey, as well as ensuring continued transportation where a connection to a second Via train had been missed.<ref name="auto4"/> As such, compensation costs were factored into Via's 2018 budget.

By the end of 2018, the full route time on the ''Canadian'' had been increased twice to absorb freight delays.<ref name="auto5"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fitzhugh.ca/via-cn-cook-up-new-vancouver-jasper-sked/ |title=New Via sked to keep 'Canadian' on time in Jasper – Jasper's source for news, sports, arts, culture, and more |work=The Fitzhugh |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604095347/https://www.fitzhugh.ca/via-cn-cook-up-new-vancouver-jasper-sked/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto4"/> The second extension – to five days – has been mostly successful in decreasing delays, and also allowed for a daytime transit of [[Hells Gate (British Columbia)|Hells Gate]] in BC, previously transversed overnight in the dark. The scheduled increased running time actually resulted in the ''Canadian'' arriving early on several occasions.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ridingthebuses.com/2018/12/did-via-rail-keep-its-promise-lets-ask/ |title=Did Via Rail keep its promise? Let's ask. |date=December 6, 2018 |website=Riding the buses |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604123650/http://ridingthebuses.com/2018/12/did-via-rail-keep-its-promise-lets-ask/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g155025-d2230208-r621514304-VIA_Rail_Canada-Quebec.html |title=Lovely trip - Review of Via Rail Canada, Quebec, Canada |website=TripAdvisor |access-date=June 9, 2019 |archive-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604104111/https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g155025-d2230208-r621514304-VIA_Rail_Canada-Quebec.html |url-status=live }}</ref> However, Toronto–Vancouver service frequencies were reduced to only twice weekly during peak summer period, with a third Toronto–Edmonton run suspended entirely.
[clear]

On December 12, 2018, Via announced that it had awarded a contract to [[Siemens Canada]] for 32 train sets to replace the entire Quebec City-Windsor ''Corridor'' fleet.<ref>{{cite web |title=Via Rail Selects Siemens Canada to Replace its Quebec-Windsor Corridor Fleet |url=https://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/media-room/latest-news/50168/12-december-2018-via-rail-selects-siemens-canada-to |access-date=December 19, 2018 |archive-date=December 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220033908/https://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/media-room/latest-news/50168/12-december-2018-via-rail-selects-siemens-canada-to |url-status=live }}</ref> This marked the completion of a procurement process launched following the 2018 federal budget, which allocated funding for the fleet replacement. During the request-for-proposals stage, Via had narrowed the potential suppliers down to Siemens, [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]], [[Talgo]] and [[Stadler Rail]]. Siemens was ultimately selected after finishing first on the key criteria, which included the ability to deliver in a timely fashion, the quality of the product offering, and the price. The new fleet will consist of [[Siemens Charger|Siemens SC-42]] locomotives hauling a combination of coaches, business-class cars, and cab cars from the [[Siemens Venture]] series to allow bi-directional operation. The trains will be built at Siemens plant in [[Sacramento, California]], and Siemens committed to including at least 20 percent Canadian content in the final product. The order includes an option for an additional 16 train sets to be exercised if the federal government approves Via's high-frequency dedicated-corridor project.<ref>{{cite web |title=Via Rail places 989 million train order with Siemens |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4755621/via-rail-places-989m-train-order-with-siemens-over-bombardier-for-key-rail-corridor/ |access-date=December 19, 2018 |archive-date=December 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219230953/https://globalnews.ca/news/4755621/via-rail-places-989m-train-order-with-siemens-over-bombardier-for-key-rail-corridor/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The first train set is to be delivered for testing by winter 2021, with the first sets in service by 2022 and all trains in service by 2024. The delivery of the new trains will allow Via to retire LRC and Renaissance equipment from the corridor, and re-allocate the HEP2 and corridor-based HEP1 cars to other parts of the network.

===2020s===
[[File:SCV-42-2202 pushing Train 33 through Michael St. in Ottawa (2).jpg|thumb|right|A Via Rail SCV-42 Charger pushing [[Siemens Venture]] trainsets in 2023]]
On October 30, 2021, Via Rail implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy in line with new [[Transport Canada]] regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which required all Via Rail staff and passengers aged 12 and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel aboard Via Rail trains. Until November 30 a negative COVID test was also considered an alternate to show proof of vaccine prior to boarding.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://media.viarail.ca/en/press-releases/2021/rail-unveils-its-mandatory-vaccination-policy |title=VIA RAIL UNVEILS ITS MANDATORY VACCINATION POLICY &#124; VIA Rail |access-date=December 10, 2021 |archive-date=December 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210163842/https://media.viarail.ca/en/press-releases/2021/rail-unveils-its-mandatory-vaccination-policy |url-status=live }}</ref>

On March 9, 2022, Minister of Transport [[Omar Alghabra]] announced that the federal government would seek private proposals for operation of the proposed [[High Frequency Rail]] corridor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Transport Canada |date=March 9, 2022 |title=Government of Canada launches the next phase in the procurement process for High Frequency Rail |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/03/government-of-canada-launches-the-next-phase-in-the-procurement-process-for-high-frequency-rail.html |access-date=November 3, 2022 |website=Government of Canada}}</ref> Labour union [[Unifor]] criticized this move, calling it a first step toward eventual [[privatization]] of Via Rail, and launched the Get Canada Back on Track campaign to raise awareness and call for "a legislative framework that protects public, accessible, safe passenger rail and directs immediate public investments" to service improvements.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Unifor |title=Via Rail P3 privatization must be stopped in its tracks |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/via-rail-p3-privatization-must-be-stopped-in-its-tracks-816758174.html |access-date=November 3, 2022 |website=www.newswire.ca |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Back on Track |url=https://backontrack.unifor.org/ |access-date=November 3, 2022 |website=Back on Track |language=en}}</ref>