VIA Rail is cancelling its early morning train from Ottawa to Toronto and changing the number of trips on several routes this fall as part of schedule changes to accommodate passenger volume.
The Crown corporation announced changes to 10 train routes on the Quebec City-Windsor corridor on Wednesday, saying it will “better align service with passenger demand” and “support more reliable and predictable service.”
As of Oct. 25, VIA Rail is cancelling Train 641 between Ottawa and Toronto. The train departs Ottawa at 4:13 a.m., stops in Kingston at 6:16 a.m. and arrives in Toronto at 8:48 a.m.
“Train 641 service will end, but passengers will continue to have an early-morning option to Toronto on Train 41, which will depart Ottawa earlier at 4:56 a.m. and arrive in Toronto at 9:37 a.m.,” VIA Rail said in a statement.
VIA Rail Train 41 currently departs at 5:21 a.m. from Ottawa.
Here is a look at the other changes to the VIA Rail schedule, as of Oct. 25:
- Train 43 from Ottawa to Toronto will be reduced to two days a week (Friday and Sunday), with the Monday trip cancelled.
- Train 44 from Toronto to Ottawa will only run on Tuesday, starting Oct. 25. The train currently runs six days a week, with service Monday to Friday and Sunday. The train departs at 2:23 p.m.
- Train 53 from Ottawa to Toronto will no longer run on Saturday, starting Oct. 25. The train will continue to run Sunday to Friday, departing at 11:43 a.m.
- Train 54 from Ottawa to Toronto will no longer run on Sunday. VIA says the train will operate Monday to Saturday, departing at 5:38 p.m.
- Train 644 from Toronto to Ottawa will run daily starting Oct. 25, up from five days a week this summer.
- Train 645 from Ottawa to Toronto will switch to Wednesdays only from five days a week, starting Oct. 25.
- Train 647 from Ottawa to Toronto will only run on Sundays, with the Friday trip cancelled.
Other changes will see Saturday service on Train 68 (Toronto to Montreal) and Train 69 (Montreal to Toronto) replaced by new departures on Trains 668 and 669.
