VIA Rail announces new early-morning train between Ottawa and Toronto

A new Via Rail train sits on display at the train station in Ottawa, Tuesday, November 30, 2021 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

VIA Rail has announced a new train schedule that will bring travellers from Ottawa to Toronto before 9 a.m.

Train 641 will leave Ottawa at 4:19 a.m. from Monday to Thursday with stops in Kingston, Brockville and Cobourg before arriving at Toronto’s Union Station by 8:48 a.m.

"In recent months, stakeholders and frequent passengers from eastern Ontario have emphasized the significance of early-morning VIA Rail services for their communities, and we took great care to listen and act on this feedback," Mario Péloquin, VIA Rail president and CEO, said in a statement.

The route will begin service on May 27 and customers can book their trip as soon as April 29.

The Crown corporation says in addition to the new service schedule, train 644, which currently runs between Ottawa and Toronto from Friday to Sunday, will run everyday once train 641 comes online.

VIA Rail said it will be “closely monitoring” the public response to the early-morning schedule and will make adjustments as necessary.