'Like being in prison': Via Rail passenger says people stranded without food, water
CTV
A tourist visiting Canada is questioning the safety of Via Rail after he says his phone was snatched from him by an employee when he was documenting a train delay that left passengers stranded as they ran out of food, water and working toilets.
A tourist visiting Canada is questioning the safety of Via Rail after he says his phone was snatched from him by an employee when he was documenting a train delay that left passengers stranded as they ran out of food, water and working toilets.
Chip Malt was in Quebec over the long weekend to celebrate his father's 70th birthday in the province's capital and said he boarded a Via Rail train from Montreal to Quebec City on Saturday.
But the expected three-hour ride ended up being a nearly 14-hour journey after passengers were stranded for 10 hours in the "middle of nowhere" following two train breakdowns, said Malt.
He said people were trying to find train exits and were calling Ubers, taxis and car services to get them out but they were so secluded they "were without options."
"It's my first experience on Via Rail, and will probably be my last experience on Via Rail," he said Monday in an interview from his home in Austin, Texas. "It was like being in prison."
On Sunday, Via Rail issued a statement apologizing for the "inconvenience" to passengers.
It confirmed they were stuck for 10 hours on Saturday when a train broke down between Montreal and Quebec City after experiencing two consecutive mechanical issues.
