Engineer strike stops Via Rail trains

MONTREAL (The Canadian Press) - The final Via Rail passengers to depart Canadian stations before an engineer strike effectively stopped trains on their tracks Friday were disappointed to be put on buses, but largely pleased they could continue their journeys.
Although some routes were cancelled in anticipation of the noon walkout, Via Rail chartered hundreds of buses in an effort to maintain services right up to the very last minute.
"We can't take a chance of stranding anybody," Via spokesman Malcolm Andrews said.
"We have to make sure they all get to their destinations, so we are doing everything we need to do to make sure that happens."
Contract negotiations between Via and the union representing its 340 engineers broke down overnight Thursday.
The union said it received no response to a final offer tabled early Friday and had no choice but to follow through on a promise to trigger a national rail strike.
Union spokesman Stephane Lacroix said the union remains open to talking with Via but that both sides remain far apart. He warned the strike could be lengthy.
"We're not pleased to go on strike," he said. "We're not going there with a big smile on our face, it's not a funny thing to do. But after two-and-a-half years of negotiations it was time for us to draw the line."
Via said it has no choice but to cancel all rail service for the duration of the strike. It would consider laying off hundreds of other employees if the strike lasts longer than five days.
The only trains that will continue running are those on the Sudbury-White River and Victoria-Courtenay lines as they are operated by third parties on Via's behalf.
Andrews said ticket holders are entitled to full refunds but Via will no longer be able to assist with alternative transportation arrangements except for passengers travelling from Jasper to Vancouver.
"Via is carrying this time of year about 12,000 passengers a day nationally," he said. " Practically speaking, it simply would not be possible for us to provide the kinds of alternatives that we have been doing over the last day or so."
Marilyn Lally and her mother Rose McGee were among the last Via passengers out of Montreal's Central Station Friday.
They were looking forward to a scenic train ride but were told their train wasn't running. "The train is half the fun of travelling," Lally said.