Dozens of VIA Rail passengers were stranded overnight in Brockville, Ont., following a significant service disruption that affected three trains and caused lengthy delays across the corridor.
In a statement, VIA Rail confirmed that trains 669, 48, and 54 were significantly disrupted after train 669 experienced a mechanical failure near Brockville, Ont., on Wednesday. Crews attempted several times to restore the disabled train by coupling it to a rescue train, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Instead, VIA Rail staff conducted a complex transfer operation: passengers from train 669 were moved to train 54, and those aboard train 54 were then transferred to train 48. Train 54 ultimately departed as the new train 669, arriving in Toronto more than eight hours behind schedule.
“All passengers were transferred safely and without injury, and our teams continue to work to support customers as best as possible under challenging conditions,” the company said.
No buses were available to provide transportation to customers, VIA Rail says
One passenger who shared their experience on Reddit described the ordeal as both frustrating and surreal.
“I was on the 669 train. The engine just lost power, apparently completely. We started off not being able to charge electronics, finished in the dark with flashlights and the emergency thermal blankets being handed out to keep people warm… It seemed to be one of the new trains too, so that was a bit surprising,” the Redditor wrote.
“We stole those other people’s train in order to continue to Toronto (ended up arriving seven hours late). But even this train transfer didn’t happen until like 1 a.m., when it could’ve happened at like 9:30. I thought they were supposed to just hop on the later train coming from Toronto, so [I] don’t know why that didn’t happen.”
Train 48, which had been deployed to assist in the rescue, was held in Brockville, Ont., to secure the disabled train. By mid-morning Thursday, 114 passengers from train 48 were detrained at the Brockville station and later boarded train 50, bound for Ottawa, with an expected arrival around noon.
VIA Rail acknowledged the disruption was “not the level of service that Canadians expect” and apologized to affected customers. The company said it is conducting a full review of the mechanical failure, including the shutdown of the affected equipment, to determine what went wrong and strengthen its operations and response.
“While incidents like this are very rare, we recognize that this is not the first time passengers have experienced extended delays during mechanical issues, and even one such incident is too many,” the statement read.
All affected customers will receive a full refund and a 100 per cent travel credit.
