VANCOUVER, British Columbia —Mechanical issues, not Canadian National dispatching decisions, caused VIA Rail Canada’s transcontinental flagship Canadian to finally arrive at its West Coast destination at 11:10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 23, more than one day after it was supposed to get there.
The train departed Toronto on Wednesday, Dec. 18, As a result, the eastbound Canadian, which was scheduled to leave Monday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. PST is set to leave for Toronto at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday to allow for servicing.
The episode, occurring during the busy holiday period, illustrates how aging equipment on a far-flung network leaves the passenger carrier vulnerable even when attempting to operate a twice-weekly schedule.
Sources tell Trains News Wire that one of the westbound train’s locomotives became disabled near Capreol, Ontario, about 8 hours into its cross-country journey. With the only suitable substitute motive power back in Toronto, VIA made the decision to bus all 135 passengers to a hotel in nearby Sudbury for the night and most of the following day.
A VIA spokesman told Trains News Wire that the Canadian was operating 39 hours late across northern Ontario, and the crew “was ensuring the comfort and safety of all those onboard.” Interviews conducted by Toronto’s CTV News confirmed that passengers were well taken care of during the long delay. In a statement VIA said that two overheated bearings caused the breakdown, but would not elaborate. The onboard staff was recrewed at Hornepayne, Ont., with employees that would have boarded at Winnipeg.
Although the train departed Winnipeg 41 hours late, abundant recovery time helped progressively cut the margin down to 32 hours by the time it left Jasper, Alberta, at 5:03 p.m. Sunday.
Although VIA normally keeps spare equipment in Vancouver — enough to run an extra May-through-October round-trip to Edmonton, Alta., the company instead chose to delay Monday’s scheduled departure to Tuesday.
