Quebec City–Windsor Corridor

This is absolutely killing our city.

Kingston City Council unanimously supported another advocacy-based motion directed at Via Rail following a wave of schedule changes impacting the Quebec City-Windsor corridor.

Via Rail Canada announced schedule changes to the Quebec City-Windsor corridor effective October twenty-fifth, twenty twenty-six, including reductions in service between Ottawa and Toronto and the complete discontinuation of the early morning train six forty-one from Ottawa to Toronto, with stops in Fallowfield, Smiths Falls, Brockville, Kingston, Belleville, Cobourg, and Port Hope.

The revised schedule will result in eight less trains coming into and out of Kingston, going from one hundred and eighty-seven weekly trains to one hundred and seventy-nine.

In the announcement, the corporation stated, quote, "The revised schedule will better align service with passenger demand, strengthen network resilience, and support more reliable and predictable service," end quote.

This is absolutely killing our city.

Kingston City Council unanimously supported another advocacy-based motion directed at VIA Rail following a wave of schedule changes impacting the Quebec City-Windsor corridor.

VIA Rail Canada announced schedule changes to the Quebec City-Windsor corridor effective October 25th, 2026, including reductions in service between Ottawa and Toronto and the complete discontinuation of the early morning train 641 from Ottawa to Toronto, with stops in Fallowfield, Smiths Falls, Brockville, Kingston, Belleville, Cobourg, and Port Hope.

The revised schedule will result in eight less trains coming into and out of Kingston, going from 187 weekly trains to 179.

In the announcement, the corporation stated, quote, "The revised schedule will better align service with passenger demand, strengthen network resilience, and support more reliable and predictable service," end quote.

year-We're having to weigh in and, and I think to say that I'm exasperated with VIA Rail would be an enormous understatement, and I think that most of you around the table would agree with that.

Specifically, the motion formally requests that VIA Rail Canada reverse the schedule changes affecting Kingston and communities throughout eastern Ontario.

The motion also requests that VIA Rail Canada provide information about ridership demand and the analysis that informed these schedule changes, and that the Minister of Transport make intercity passenger rail service in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor a priority.

Thank you, Jesse.

Via Rail is discontinuing Train 641, part of service reductions along the Quebec City to Windsor Corridor.

The change eliminates an early morning connection that takes passengers from Belleville to downtown Toronto before 9 a.m.

The City of Belleville is calling on Via Rail to reconsider the change.

For residents who travel to Toronto for work and for those traveling to Belleville, having practical departure and arrival times matters, Mayor Neil Ellis said in a statement.

Mr. Ellis said Belleville's location along the Quebec City to Windsor Corridor is an important advantage for the community.

The loss of train 641 removes an alternative to traveling along Highway 401.

But Via Rail says the revised schedule is intended to better align service with passenger demand.