Ottawa gives Via Rail 30 days to make changes after passengers stranded

Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 12, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Patrick Doyle)

Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez says Via Rail has 30 days to make some changes following a train delay that left passengers stranded over the weekend.

Rodriguez told Via Rail in a letter it has 30 days to update its emergency management action plan and he encourages it to work with Transport Canada to institute an updated communications protocol in the same time-frame.

He's also asking for an independent investigation into the incident in which passengers were stranded for 10 hours as they ran out of food, water and working toilets.

He says Via Rail previously said it had addressed issues following similar disruptions during the 2022 holiday season, but that plan "failed" when tested last weekend.

Via Rail says in a statement the length of time passengers were stuck on the train is "unacceptable."

The Crown corporation says it will commission an independent review and has already started implementing various measures.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2024.