Planning greater accessibility at VIA Rail

OTTAWA, June 6, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Today in Ottawa, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) held a session with a working group of approximately 20 individuals from British Columbia, Ontario and the province of Québec representing people living with accessibility issues, including individuals with physical , visual and hearing disabilities. The goal of the session was to seek advice and expertise on the best practices with respect to universal accessibility to its services.

The Corporation currently has major projects including the procurement of a new fleet for the Québec City-Windsor corridor, and the conversion of 17 stainless steel into fully accessible cars. These projects will greatly transform mobility, contribute to Canada's inclusive growth, and ensure Canadian passenger rail remains at the forefront of accessible transportation for travellers with mobility or other restrictions.

"Today's session was part of VIA Rail's commitment to remaining passengers' preferred mode of accessible transportation. As part of our transformation plan to lead Canadians towards a more sustainable future, we intend to offer our passengers a new generation of fully accessible trains, from coast to coast. We are thankful to the participants who have kindly shared their expertise and advice. Fruitful discussions arose from today's meeting, which will greatly contribute to the delivery of accessible services which are aligned with universal accessibility and the evolving needs of the travelling public over the years," said VIA Rail's President and CEO, Yves Desjardins-Siciliano.

About VIA Rail Canada

As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail (viarail.ca) and all its employees are mandated to provide safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across Canada, and about 180 more communities through intermodal partnerships, and safely transports approximately 4.4 million passengers annually. The Corporation has been awarded five Safety Awards and three Environment Awards by the Railway Association of Canada since 2007. Visit the "About VIA Rail" section at: www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail.

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SOURCE VIA Rail Canada Inc.