VIA Rail's President and CEO, Martin Landry, issued a statement 11JAN, apologizing for the travel delays and train cancellations during the holidays that saw some passengers stranded onboard for nearly 24 hours in the Windsor-Quebec corridor with little food, water, or toilet facilities - and little by way of updates from VIA.
The statement comes as the federal transport committee calls hearings into the holiday travel meltdown. The committee has called VIA Rail's CEO, as well as the leadership of airlines, airports, and affected passengers and passenger rights advocates to testify at the hearings, scheduled to begin 12JAN.
In his statement, Landry blames the double challenge of a "severe winter storm along with the derailment of a freight train" for disrupted service, including delays and cancellations 23-26DEC along the train company's busiest section of rail.
"We didn't meet your expectations and for that we apologize," he said, addressing affected customers.
"We should have done better in dealing with the situation. We are truly sorry for letting our passengers down," the statement continued.
"We should have been more forthcoming in sharing information about trains that were delayed and in communicating updates. We also know we should have adopted a different approach in supporting passengers on trains that were delayed for lengthy periods.
"Beyond not having met the expectations of our customers, we have not lived up to our own standards," it added.
The statement says the company is "offering a full refund to passengers, along with travel credits for those whose trains were completely immobilized."
And, "despite weather events and a freight train derailment beyond our control, it is clear that lessons will be learned, and changes will be made."
VIA Rail says it will bring in outside consultants to help the company with "reviewing our performance."
It will investigate "our planning for the storm, our operational response, protocol around customer care and our overall communications as well as how we can better accommodate our passengers in order to get them to their destination."
