MONTREAL – A CN freight train derailment in Brockville, Ontario put a complete stop to via rail service between Montreal and Toronto on Thursday.
No one was injured, but the accident left thousands of passengers stranded and hundreds of freight trains stalled on the track.
“It’s frustrating but it’s okay,” said Kristin Marshall who is travelling back home to Toronto.
But it wasn’t okay for Shannon Moran, a hearing impaired passenger who was travelling to Toronto with his guide dog.
“I know nothing, no official has come by to say anything and if they announced anything on the air I wouldn’t hear it so I’m stuck,” said Moran.
At least 1,600 passengers are affected and so far Via Rail has had to cancel 29 trains.
“Passengers may expect some delays of up to one hour today, so we are very sorry for the inconveniences this situation may cause for passengers,” said Mylène Bélanger, a spokesperson for Via Rail.
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are on site trying to determine the cause of the accident. While that’s happening, Via Rail is re-routing all passengers by bus, and promising travel credits as a form of compensation.
READ MORE: Cause of CN derailment under investigated, Via Rail disruptions continue
But for some, it’s little consolation.
“I usually take the train. If I wanted to take the bus I would have booked a bus,” said Moran.
“My legs are tired I’ve been standing up for a while,” said Alex Steenhant.
While some passengers are losing patience, others are taking the detour in stride.
“We were in Halifax through the hurricane, tropical storm, and four hours late getting there. But we’ll probably be less than that getting home so it’s part of the adventure of our trip,” said Eusene James, who is heading back to Toronto after what she calls an action-packed summer vacation.
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