VIA Rail is, for now, putting the brakes on a pilot program that would have seen trains by-pass communities in Eastern Ontario.
Four weekday trains running between Toronto and Montreal were to have operated non-stop starting on Monday.
But according to VIA Rail, they have postponed implementing the changes and have continued to make scheduled stops along the corridor including Kingston, Belleville, and Brockville.
They said in a statement that the postponement was due to “operational constraints” with their rail partner Canadian National (CN).
The decision to make changes to the daily schedule was met with backlash from local politicians and passengers.
Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson for one said this move will not increase ridership on VIA while Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen says Kingston is a vital stop between the two cities.
VIA Rail insists that the plan to change the four trips to non-stop direct trips was in response to passenger demand and would have cut travel times by 40 minutes.
Story by Ken Hashizume
