Via Rail officials to be questioned by MPs about holiday travel delays – National | 24CA News
Via Rail executives are set to deal with a federal committee Thursday concerning the delays that plagued travellers over the vacations.
Earlier this month, the Crown company apologized for the widespread delays passengers noticed between Dec. 23 and 26 as a winter storm swept throughout Ontario and Quebec.
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The railway has stated that the derailment of a CN Rail freight practice precipitated additional delays to trains on its east-west hall between Quebec City and Windsor, Ont.
Some passengers discovered themselves stranded on trains for upwards of 20 hours.
Via Rail apologized for not being extra forthcoming with its prospects concerning the scenario and offering well timed updates on delays.
Its executives are showing on the committee as Opposition members of Parliament argue it’s time to increase the nation’s air passenger safety rules to cowl journey by practice.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra appeared on the committee earlier this month and vowed to toughen up current guidelines, which critics argue lack the enamel to carry firms accountable for compensating air passengers.
But in a press release offered to The Canadian Press, Alghabra’s workplace didn’t deal with whether or not the minister helps calls to broaden the present passenger safety regime to cowl these travelling by rail.
“The situation with Via Rail over the holiday season was unacceptable. Passengers deserve to be communicated with, especially during the unprecedented weather conditions Canadians were experiencing,” spokeswoman Nadine Ramadan stated in an e mail.
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“The safety of crew and passengers is always a top priority. All options are on the table to strengthen passenger safety even more.”
Via Rail’s look follows earlier testimony by leaders at Air Canada, WestJet and Sunwing, who confronted questions concerning the tons of of flights they cancelled or delayed over the vacations.
Sunwing Airlines got here below explicit scrutiny after tons of of passengers had been left stranded in Mexico, saying they might not get a solution from the corporate about returning to Canada. They have all since returned to Canada, and the airline has apologized.
Sunwing confronted criticism not lengthy after for cancelling all flights out of Saskatchewan till early February. It has additionally diminished winter flights out of Moncton, N.B., Fredericton and Halifax.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
