VIA to axe 200 jobs

Canadian rail company VIA expects to cut 200 full-time positions as a result of reduced services across the network.

The company has pledged to maintain service on current routes but has said it will be adjusting the number of trains on certain lines to “better reflect customer demand”.

Passengers will see changes to services between July and October.

VIA president and CEO Marc Laliberté said: “Adjusting our services to better align with customer demand is an important step of our modernisation – making sure we offer the right level of service to meet customer needs today, and building capacity to serve more customers in markets where demand will grow in the future.”

Since 2009, VIA has reduced its management workforce by 15 per cent.

Routes to be affected include the Montreal to Halifax line, which will be cut from six to three round trips a week.

The government-owned passenger rail service is facing cuts to its funding year on year, with subsidies to the company falling by $19.6 million in 2014/15.

“Where the demand varies dramatically by season, we need to adjust frequencies in order to remain efficient,” added Mr Laliberté.

“In growing markets, we are adding more frequencies to meet customer demand. In addition, mandatory services in regions where there are limited transportation alternatives will remain.

“We are not eliminating rail service on any routes where we operate today and we are maintaining the flexibility to adjust service levels in the future, as customer needs evolve.”