QUNINTE WEST, Ontario — The Honourable David Collenette, federal Minister of Transport, announced that VIA Rail Canada will resume passenger service to Trenton Junction on a trial basis beginning March 18, following an agreement reached with local officials to improve the city’s station facilities, the railroad announced in a press release. The Minister was accompanied by Paul Macklin, M.P. (Northumberland), as well as Honourable Lyle Vanclief M.P. (Prince Edward – Hastings).
The resumption of rail service to Trenton Junction, which was discontinued last October due to low ridership, will provide residents of the Quinte West area with same-day return service to Toronto as well as direct and connecting service to all other cities in the Windsor-Quebec City Corridor.
At a news conference on March 15, Transport Minister David Collenette said he was pleased that VIA Rail and area residents have worked together to resolve those concerns, and bring service back to the community. “The Canadian government is committed to an efficient, national passenger rail system that meets the needs of communities across Canada,” Mr. Collenette said. “The people of Quinte West deserve a chance to show that rail service here can be made viable again.”
Under the agreement reached with local officials, the city will improve the station facilities and provide better landscaping and parking, supported by a $10,000 contribution from VIA Rail. Following a trial period, VIA will determine if the market response is sufficient to sustain service on a permanent basis.
Paul Macklin, Member of Parliament for Northumberland, welcomed VIA’s decision to restore service to Trenton Junction. “People in this community made it very clear that passenger rail is important to them. I’m pleased that both the Minister of Transport and VIA Rail have been responsive to their concerns. VIA Rail and the community have worked together to find a good, co-operative solution that will ensure better transportation options in the future.”
Bob Campney, Mayor of Quinte West, said “today’s announcement is excellent news for the citizens of Quinte West and the surrounding area. This was a community effort; the people spoke loud and clear and we are grateful that our federal government and VIA Rail have listened. On behalf of Council and the citizens of Quinte West we thank the Hon. David Collenette; the Hon. Lyle Vanclief; MP Paul Macklin; VIA Rail and our citizens who helped to make this happen.”
VIA’s Regional Director, Pierre Santoni, said the service resumption “is possible because the community of Quinte West worked hard to make it happen. They made it clear not just that the train is important here – but that they are ready to work with us to make it viable.”
Effective March 18, the Trenton Junction passenger services will resume under the following schedule: Monday – Saturday Westbound train #51 arrives from Montreal and Kingston and departs for Toronto at 6:35 a.m. (arrival Union Station at 8:20 a.m.)
Monday – Friday Eastbound train #48 (departure from Union Station at 5:30 p.m.) arrives from Toronto and departs for Kingston and Ottawa at 7:06 p.m. (with a connection to Montreal at Kingston) Saturday and Sunday Eastbound train #648/668 (departure from Union Station at 6:10 p.m.) arrives from Toronto and departs for Kingston, Montreal and Ottawa at 7:47 p.m.
With the return of service to Trenton Junction, VIA same day return to Toronto will now be possible. VIA will therefore be offering a commuter pass fare for frequent users of this option. VIA Rail Canada operates Canada’s national passenger rail network, with 460 trains weekly on 14,000 kilometres of track, connecting more than 450 Canadian communities from coast to coast. VIA trains carried almost four million passengers in 2001. Recognizing the growing demand, the federal government recently invested some $402 million over five years to modernize VIA’s passenger rail network. This investment is giving VIA modern equipment, better tracks and infrastructure, and better stations – allowing it to deliver more trains, faster trains, and better service to Canadians across the country.