Via Rail suspends nonstop Montreal-Toronto pilot project
Posted September 30, 2025 9:46 am.
Via Rail suspended a pilot project for a direct service between Montreal and Toronto which was expected to shave about half an hour from the trip duration.
The Crown corporation said that it was pausing the three-month trial set to begin Monday was due to “operational constraints with our rail partner, CN.”
The trains — 60, 61, 68 and 69 – which were would have skipped eastern Ontario cities like Kingston, Cornwall, etc. along the Montréal-Toronto route,
The decision drew sharp criticism from political leaders from eastern Ontario who said they viewed the pilot project as service cuts which would negatively impact their communities, according to media reports.
Via Rail told CityNews in a statement:
“We remain confident that this downtown-to-downtown service, requested by 70 per cent of our passengers, represents an important step toward delivering more efficient passenger rail in Canada. A faster and more reliable service would benefit not only VIA Rail passengers, but also the broader rail network, including our partner CN. VIA Rail will continue to work closely with CN to explore solutions that would allow us to test and implement this service in the future. In the meantime, we sincerely apologize to passengers who were unnecessarily re-accommodated. Impacted customers may modify their booking at no cost by contacting our customer service team.
Via Rail said that it would continue to be explore offering nonstop service between Montréal and Toronto will in the future.
