VIA Rail Canada's Canadian Service Increases in Passengers During the Holidays

 

VIA Rail, The CanadianVIA Rail's service, The Canadian, welcomed 14 percent more passengers than last year between Dec. 20, 2012 and Jan. 6, 2013. Close to 7,000 passengers traveling on 10 trains chose The Canadian to take them home for the holidays while enjoying Canada's landscapes, VIA Rail's services and its cuisine.

"We often think of The Canadian as a memorable way to discover our beautiful country, said Marc Laliberté, president and CEO of VIA Rail. And it certainly makes for a great family or romantic holiday. But this year, more people than ever before, chose to travel aboard our VIA Rail trains between Toronto, Vancouver and cities in between making The Canadian a true inter-city travel option. Thank you to our employees who have remarkably served our customers and allow them to enjoy a unique experience.”

The most popular legs of the journey were (in order of passenger volume) Jasper-Vancouver, Edmonton-Vancouver, Toronto-Winnipeg, Saskatoon-Winnipeg, Edmonton-Winnipeg and Toronto-Vancouver.

On these trains, sleeper facilities attained an average occupancy level of 74.4 percent (maximum of 79.1 percent) while coach cars reached 72.7 percent (maximum of 88.9 percent).

This year, many new Canadians also chose The Canadian to explore their country of adoption during the holidays, by taking advantage of VIA Rail's collaboration with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC).

For more information on VIA Rail Canada and their network of services, please visit www.viarail.ca.