VIA Rail train en route to Ottawa forced to return to Montreal due to mechanical issue

A VIA Rail train arrives at the Fallowfield Station on Friday. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

A VIA Rail train en route to Ottawa at the start of the Thanksgiving long weekend was delayed for several hours due to a mechanical issue, before the train eventually returned to Montreal late Thursday night.

VIA Rail train 37 departed Montreal at 4:29 p.m. on Thursday en route to Ottawa, according to the VIA Rail train tracker. The train's original arrival time in Ottawa was 6:40 p.m.

"VIA Rail train 37 from Quebec City to Ottawa was unfortunately stopped due to mechanical issues on a bridge just outside Wellington Street about 10 minutes after it departed Central Station in Montreal," VIA Rail said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa Thursday night.

"An emergency brake, which failed to release, prevented us from towing the train when we sent a rescue train. Getting passengers off the train was not an option, because VIA Rail could not assure a safe evacuation due to its location on the bridge."

VIA says at 9:45 p.m., emergency services boarded the train to assist in caring for passengers, and by 10:20 p.m. crews were able to release all emergency brakes.

The train returned to Central Station in Montreal.

One passenger said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that there was no movement on the train three and a half hours after the departure. The passenger said staff indicated the train would be pulled by another train, "yet we've had no progress or update for over 50 minutes."

VIA Rail says all passengers on board the train will be provided a 100 per cent travel credit and a 100 per cent refund. VIA Rail is also covering any hotel bills for passengers who decided to stay in Montreal and offered a later train option to get passengers to Ottawa if they chose, according to the crown corporation.

"Passengers were updated regularly by the onboard crew. Of course, we apologize for any inconvenience experienced by passengers on this train," VIA Rail said.