VIA Rail is now running fewer trains on the Ottawa-Toronto route as part of schedule changes to accommodate passenger volume this fall.
In September, VIA Rail announced adjustments to its schedule, saying it will “better align service with passenger demand, strengthen network resilience and support more reliable and predictable service.”
The changes, which take effect on Oct. 25, include the cancellation of the early morning Train 641 from Ottawa to Toronto. The train departed Ottawa at 4:13 a.m., stopped in Kingston at 6:16 a.m. and arrived in Toronto at 8:48 a.m.
As part of the changes, VIA Rail Train 41 now departs 25 minutes earlier from Ottawa to Toronto at 4:56 a.m.
Other changes to the VIA Rail schedule include:
- Train 43 from Ottawa to Toronto is reduced to two days a week (Friday and Sunday), with the Monday trip cancelled.
- Train 44 from Toronto to Ottawa will only run on Tuesdays, as of Oct. 25. The train previously ran six days a week, with service Monday to Friday and Sunday.
- Train 53 from Ottawa to Toronto no longer runs on Saturday, starting Oct. 25. The train will continue to operate Sunday to Friday, departing at 11:43 a.m.
- Train 54 from Toronto to Ottawa no longer runs on Sunday. VIA says the train will operate Monday to Saturday, departing at 5:38 p.m.
- Train 644 from Toronto to Ottawa runs daily starting Oct. 25, up from five days a week during the summer.
- Train 645 from Ottawa to Toronto is now operating on Wednesdays only. The train previously operated five days a week.
- Train 647 from Ottawa to Toronto runs only on Sundays, with the Friday trip cancelled.
VIA Rail has added Train 55 on the Ottawa to Toronto route, running daily.
Eastern Ontario mayors expressed frustration with VIA Rail’s plans to cut trips along the Ottawa-Toronto ridership.
Kingston Mayor Bryan Patterson said Kingston will see the number of trains reduced from 187 to 179, “eight less VIA trains coming into and out of our community each week.”
“At a time when our community is growing, highways are increasingly congested, and people are looking for reliable alternatives to driving, we should be investing in and expanding VIA service—not cutting it,” Patterson said in September.
In a statement, the Town of Cobourg said it was concerned the service changes this fall “could make passenger rail less accessible and convenient for residents and visitors and believes the potential cumulative impact of schedule changes on communities throughout the corridor warrants further discussion.”
