“Like being in prison”: Via Rail passenger says people are stranded without food and water – SteinbachOnline.com

A tourist in Canada is questioning the safety of Via Rail after he says an employee snatched his phone while he was documenting a train delay that left passengers stranded because they ran out of food, water and working toilets.

Chip Malt was in Quebec over the long weekend to celebrate his father's 70th birthday in the provincial capital and said he boarded a Via Rail train from Montreal to Quebec City on Saturday.

But the planned three-hour journey turned into a nearly 14-hour trip after two train breakdowns left passengers stranded for 10 hours “in the middle of nowhere,” Malt said.

He said people were trying to find the train exits and calling Uber, taxis and ride services to get out, but they were so isolated they “had no choice.”

“It's my first experience with Via Rail and probably my last experience with Via Rail,” he said Monday in an interview from his home in Austin, Texas.

“It was like being in prison.”

On Sunday, Via Rail released a statement apologizing for the “inconvenience” caused to passengers. The company confirmed that they were stranded for 10 hours on Saturday when a train between Montreal and Quebec City broke down after experiencing two consecutive mechanical problems.

The company said that there were no buses available as alternative transport in the region. Power, air conditioning and washrooms were temporarily switched off to allow repairs and coupling to another train, the company said.

“We are committed to providing exceptional customer service and ensuring that all passengers are treated with respect and dignity,” the company said.

Malt said snacks were delivered after the train was delayed for one hour and then three hours, but they eventually ran out of food and water.

“They came by with a jug of water and said, 'Is anyone dehydrated? This is our last water.'”

At that point, the toilet also broke, he said.

After about eight hours, people got up to stretch their legs, including Malt, who said he was giving his wife some space because she was forced to attend a scheduled job interview on the train.

Malt said that at that moment a staff member “burst in” and “pushed a woman against the wall” as he walked past and asked people to take their seats.

“He started yelling at the woman and then people started filming, including me, and I was standing right next to him,” he said. “When he saw me filming, he leaned over and grabbed my phone.”

Via Rail said the exchange is currently being investigated and appropriate action will be taken following the review.

When the water ran out, staff gave passengers beer and vodka, according to Malt. He said staff also tried to get passengers to do yoga breathing exercises to relax them, which ultimately frustrated passengers.

At one point, some of the passengers, including Malt, considered breaking windows to escape, but he said they were surrounded by a construction site, so even if they left the train, they would have to climb over fences and cross concrete and tar to get to the edge of a highway, he said.

Malt said staff gave no information about why the train broke down or who came to help. He said they kept repeating the same statement that they had “no further information at the moment”.

In a statement on Monday, Via Rail vehemently denied serving alcohol to passengers. The company also stressed that it had informed passengers of updates every 30 minutes, “even if this information was only to let people know that the situation had not changed or that repair work was continuing.”

“Unfortunately, this is often perceived as 'no updates,'” the company said on Monday.

Via Rail eventually placed another passenger train next to theirs on a parallel track. The fire department was called to help passengers transfer from one train to the other, Malt said, and pizza was brought.

However, since the second train was carrying passengers, many people had to stand until the train finally reached Quebec City.

Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez promised on Sunday to get to the bottom of the delay and said he would meet with Via Rail management this week. He also posted on X that “passengers deserve better.”

Malt said his American family was finally able to celebrate his father's 70th birthday and that Quebec City lives up to the hype.

However, he noted that many passengers on the train pointed out that it was brand new and, based on his experience, he doubts their safety.

He also said that the company should be trained to deal with delays, but it is the staff who are “aggressive and causing problems.”

“We no longer felt safe on the train,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published September 3, 2024.