VIA Rail wants to refurbished cars on service between Halifax-Montreal

CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press

The CEO of Via Rail says the Crown corporation wants to use refurbished rail cars to improve service between Halifax and Montreal.

Mario Péloquin made the comments after a ceremony marking the completion of renovations to Via’s Halifax station.

Péloquin also noted that last year was the 120th anniversary of The Ocean — the train from Montreal to Halifax inaugurated in July 1904.

The CEO says the federal government has committed to renewing the corporation’s entire Canadian fleet within ten years.

And in the interim, Péloquin says there are plans to refurbish stainless steel cars that are being retired in Central Canada for use in the Atlantic region.

But Péloquin says he doesn’t know yet whether the refurbished cars will be enough to restore daily service to the Halifax-Montreal line, which currently runs three times a week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025.