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Significant problems with Via Rail trains south of Ottawa have stranded passengers for more than 12 hours.
Via Rail Train 669 “experienced a mechanical failure” near Brockville, Ont., on Wednesday evening, according to Via in a statement. When they couldn’t fix that train, the company said its passengers were transferred to another train.
That route goes from Montreal to Toronto.
That also disrupted trains 48 and 54 from Toronto to Ottawa, whose passengers have been in Brockville since around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
“Originally … we were going to switch trains and those passengers would take our train,” said Morgan Davis from Train 48 on CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning on Thursday.
“In the end, those passengers hopped on with us.”
Davis said he and other passengers have not been clearly told why they’ve been stuck in Brockville, and are feeling frustrated.
Alan Drummond, a doctor in Perth, Ont., told CBC he waited at the Smiths Falls train station for about six hours to pick up his daughter, until he gave up around 3 a.m.
As of around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, he went to Brockville to get her.
Not offering alternatives
A Via Rail spokesperson would not tell CBC News whether the mechanical problem had anything to do with the snowfall warnings in place across eastern Ontario on Wednesday. The Via statement said the problem is under review.
The spokesperson said devices needed to fix the broken train are on the way on different trains.
Via Rail is allowing people to get off the train in Brockville, but is not providing alternative transportation, the spokesperson said.
Via apologized in its statement, saying it’s offering passengers a full refund and travel credit toward a future trip.
