Travellers were left uncertain and frustrated as their train was cancelled after over 30 hours of delays.
Perry Asham was travelling from Winnipeg to Edmonton for work, on what started as a usual train ride, before it turned into 30 hours of frustration.
Asham was about to take his train on Thursday night when he learned it was delayed by eight hours. He finally stepped into the carriage shortly before 7 a.m. the next day, but the train left Winnipeg around 6 p.m. Friday, only to return to the same spot Saturday morning.
“Unfortunately, we were delayed from 33 to 34 hours, and the way they dealt with it, especially for families with children, wasn’t all that good,” said Asham.
In a statement to CityNews, VIA Rail said the train was delayed due to mechanical issues and that all affected passengers will receive a refund for the untravelled portion of their trip, as well as a travel credit equal to 100 per cent of the value of their entire journey.
“Safety is always our top priority. Passengers remained safely on board overnight in Winnipeg while our teams continued to support them.”
However, Asham says, “As individuals, we can probably take care of ourselves, but when you have children with you? I thought, when you’re talking about safety for your passengers, you might want to consider that.”
Now that the train is canceled, Asham is looking for ways to travel to Alberta, but says options are limited at this time. He commended the VIA Rail staff, but said a better contingency plan should be in place.
“There are some other people, some guys inside, and we were gonna share a car to get to Edmonton, but they are kinda booked up, so I might have to leave in a few days and see what happens then,” said Asham.
One traveler we spoke to said the issues started all the way in Ontario, as the train left Toronto after a 12-hour delay and made frequent and lengthy stops.
“The train was having problems since we left Toronto, so we kept stopping all the time,” said Victor Latzoo, a traveller.
Latzoo was on his way from Toronto to Saskatoon to see his children after a long parting, but says the surprise family visit is now up in the air.
“I was going to surprise them, because I haven’t seen them in two years. So they knew I was coming on Friday, and I didn’t show up, and now it’s Saturday, and I am not there. So they are thinking that daddy is not coming to see them,” said Latzoo.
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