Canada’s auditor general says Via Rail needs to improve service, punctuality

Canada’s Auditor General Karen Hogan says Via Rail needs to improve its service, especially when it comes to running on time.

A new report shows on-time performance dropped sharply, hitting just 30 per cent earlier this year.

Hogan says the rail company still shows strong overall management, but warns these delays could drive passengers away.

Via Rail blames shared tracks, speed limits, and equipment issues for the delays, but says they’ve already implemented many of the auditor general’s recommendations.

The rail company owns only three per cent of the tracks it runs on, with the rest largely controlled by the country’s two main freight railways and regional transit agencies.

Its two busiest hubs — Toronto’s Union Station and Montreal’s Central Station — also have outside ownership.

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Via’s operating costs were more than double its revenue in 2024. The company’s full-year average dropped to 51 per cent in 2024, from 71 per cent in 2015, according to Via documents.

Its operating loss widened to $385.2 million that year from $381.8 million in 2023, Via’s latest annual report states.

Via sought an injunction in November 2024 to have the speed restrictions on its Venture passenger trains lifted, according to court filings.

CN said last March that it had implemented the new rules at rail crossings due to risks associated with similar trains.

With files from The Canadian Press.

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