Passengers at the Union Station concourse on May 22 at the station’s Great Hall in Toronto. In 2019, five million people rode a Via train, before the pandemic halted most travel in 2020, when ridership fell to 1.1 million.The head of Via Rail is optimistic the number of people boarding its passenger trains this year will top prepandemic figures for the first time.In 2019, five million people rode a Via train, before the pandemic halted most travel in 2020, when ridership fell to 1.1 million.
Mr. Péloquin, a fourth-generation railroader with four decades of experience in freight and passenger rail systems, is set to mark the end of his first year at the controls of the Crown corporation. Mr. Péloquin is pushing ahead with Via’s plan to reduce its reliance on taxpayers while boosting ridership.