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Dozens of VIA Rail passengers were stranded overnight in Brockville, Ontario, due to 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 on Wednesday near Brockville, Ontario. Crews attempted several times to restore the disabled train by connecting it to a rescue train, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Instead, VIA Rail staff conducted a complex transfer operation: passengers on Train 669 were moved to Train 54, and those on Train 54 were then transferred to Train 48. Train 54 eventually departed as the new Train 669, which arrived 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 we can in the challenging circumstances,” the company said.
VIA Rail says there were no buses available to provide transportation to customers
One traveler who shared his experience on Reddit described the ordeal as both frustrating and unrealistic.
“I was on train 669. The engine lost power, apparently completely. We started off not being able to charge electronics, ended up in the dark with flashlights and were given emergency thermal blankets to keep people warm… It seemed like this was also one of the newer trains, so that was a bit surprising,” the Redditor wrote.
“We stole those other guys’ trains to Toronto (eventually arriving seven hours late). But this train transfer also didn’t happen until about 1 a.m., when it could have happened at 9:30. I thought they should have gotten on a later train coming from Toronto, so [I] Don’t know why it didn’t happen.”
Train 48, which was deployed to assist in the rescue, was stopped at Brockville, Ontario to secure the disabled train. By mid-morning Thursday, 114 passengers from Train 48 were detained at the Brockville station and later boarded Ottawa-bound Train 50, which was expected to arrive around noon.
VIA Rail acknowledged that the disruption was “not the level of service that Canadians have come to expect” and apologized to affected customers. The company said it is conducting a full review of the mechanical failure, including shutting down the affected equipment, to determine what went wrong and strengthen its operations and response.
“Although such incidents are very rare, we believe this is not the first time that passengers have faced prolonged delays due to mechanical problems, and even one such incident is one too many,” the statement said.
All affected customers will receive a full refund and 100 percent travel credit.