Natalie Crenna, like many others, relocated from a major city to a smaller town during the COVID-19 pandemic seeking affordable housing and proximity to family. However, she is now contemplating a return to Toronto, not due to a call back to in-office work, but because she finds the cost of commuting by train unsustainable. Crenna, aged 41, shared with CBC News that she is currently spending approximately $1,200 monthly on train tickets. She works at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in Belleville, Ontario, which is about 190 kilometers east of Toronto.
Numerous passengers, commuting into major cities like Toronto from smaller towns along Via Rail’s Quebec City-Windsor Corridor, have expressed concerns about the impact of Via Rail’s pricing on their travel choices. While the overall ticket prices have not seen a significant increase, passengers highlight issues with Via’s dynamic pricing model and limited options, leaving frequent commuters with no choice but to pay higher fares.
Via Rail, in an email statement to CBC News, explained that their pricing strategy is based on factors such as train occupancy and proximity to the departure date. Booking well in advance and selecting off-peak travel times are suggested to secure the lowest fares. However, passengers like Richard Stoltenberg from Cobourg, Ontario, note that their work schedules often lack predictability, resulting in higher costs for last-minute trips.
Tim Hayman, Atlantic president of Transport Action Canada, noted that Via Rail’s pricing system underwent significant changes in late 2023, introducing more fare fluctuation through advanced yield management strategies. While Via Rail’s price increases align with inflation and rising operational costs, passengers find the flexible pricing structure challenging to manage, especially for regular commuters.
Despite Via Rail’s efforts to explain its dynamic pricing model on its website, many frequent riders feel the pricing inconsistency has been exacerbated by reduced commuter-focused services since the pandemic. The discontinuation of commuter passes in 2022 and fewer stops for certain communities have added to the challenges faced by passengers relying on rail travel for their daily commutes.
Via Rail offers discount cards for frequent travelers as a cost-saving measure, allowing up to 30% off economy fares for a set number of trips within a specific period. However, limitations on applying these discounts to the lowest fare class and the exclusion of other promotional offers have left some passengers feeling that the savings are minimal and not always beneficial.
Sonja Smith, a voiceover casting specialist from West Lorne, Ontario, emphasized the increasing affordability challenges associated with rail travel, noting a significant rise in escape fare prices and the rapid escalation of ticket costs, making rail travel unsustainable for her professional needs.
The inflexibility of Via Rail’s pricing structure has also impacted commuters like Natalie Crenna, who highlighted the lack of affordable and flexible options for her routine trips to Toronto. The absence of multiple train options during peak travel times and the higher costs associated with the most convenient train schedules have made long-term commuting via Via Rail increasingly unfeasible for many passengers.