MONTREAL — VIA Rail’s Q2 2022 included a critical milestone: the return of almost all of its services across the country by the end of June.

VIA Rail’s President and CEO, Martin R. Landry, says VIA is delighted to have welcomed its passengers back on board its trains.

Service gradually increased in Q2, with frequencies ramping up throughout the quarter to meet the demand for travel. By June 30 almost all of VIA Rail’s services had returned across the country.

Through this resumption of our services, in time for summer, VIA Rail contributed to the resurgence of Canada’s travel and tourism industry as well as regional economic development as the country recovers from the pandemic, says Landry.

He notes that an additional 594,000 passengers travelled with VIA Rail in Q2 this year compared to the same period last year, resulting in an increase in passenger revenues of $62.6 million.

As expected, operating expenses for Q2 2022 increased compared to the same quarter last year mainly due to additional frequencies.

“Based on our performance during the second quarter, there has been an increased appetite for travel, and we couldn’t be happier about this as we had dearly missed our passengers,” said Landry. “This crucial milestone reached in June represents the culmination of two challenging years, and we are pleased with the results of this quarter and especially proud of how nimble our teams have been during this recovery. We are definitely back on track to doing what we do best: providing a safe, accessible, comfortable and sustainable travel experience to Canadians across the country.”

VIA Rail aims to continue to employ a balanced approach as it comes out of the pandemic, in order to fulfill its important public service mandate and manage the financial impacts of the consequences of the health crisis – including the fact that more and more Canadians are working remotely.

In April 2022 VIA Rail reached key milestones in its sustainability journey with the unveiling of its sustainability plan and its participation in the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, the United Nations Global Compact. VIA Rail’s five-year sustainability plan will allow it to reduce its environmental footprint, enhance its role as a responsible transportation provider and create lasting value for present and future generations.