HIGHLIGHTS

From April 1 to June 30, 2022

• Service resumption: almost all services across the country returned by the end of June.
• Compared to the same period in 2021, an additional 594,000 passengers travelled with VIA Rail resulting in an increase in passenger revenues of $62.6M.
• As expected, operating expenses increased compared to the same quarter last year mainly due to additional frequencies.

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 31, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - VIA Rail Canada's (VIA Rail) second quarter was marked by the achievement of a critical milestone in its service resumption plan with the return of almost all of its services across the country by the end of June. The Corporation is delighted to have welcomed its passengers back on board its trains and recorded an additional 594,000 passengers who travelled with VIA Rail in the second quarter compared to the same period last year.

"Based on our performance during the second quarter, there has been an increased appetite for travel, and we couldn't be happier about this as we had dearly missed our passengers," said Martin R Landry, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This crucial milestone reached in June represents the culmination of two challenging years, and we are pleased with the results of this quarter and especially proud of how nimble our teams have been during this recovery. We are definitely back on track to doing what we do best: providing a safe, accessible, comfortable and sustainable travel experience to Canadians across the country."

Continuing to Balance Financial Impacts 
As VIA Rail recovers from the pandemic, it will continue to employ a balanced approach in order to fulfill its important public service mandate and manage the financial impacts of the consequences of the health crisis including the fact that more and more Canadians are working remotely.

Successful Service Resumption 
In line with VIA Rail's commitment to returning services when conditions allow, VIA Rail gradually increased frequencies throughout the second quarter to meet the demand for travel. By June 30 almost all of VIA Rail's services had returned across the country.

Through this resumption of our services, in time for summer, VIA Rail contributed to the resurgence of Canada's travel and tourism industry as well as regional economic development as the country recovers from the pandemic.

Contributing to a More Sustainable Future 
In April, VIA Rail was pleased to reach key milestones in its sustainability journey with the unveiling of its sustainability plan and its participation in the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, the United Nations Global Compact. VIA Rail's robust and future-oriented five-year sustainability plan will allow it to reduce its environmental footprint, enhance its role as a responsible transportation provider and create lasting value for present and future generations.

Martin R Landry, VIA Rail's new President and Chief Executive Officer 
In June, Martin R Landry became VIA Rail's President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Landry joined VIA Rail in 2014 as Chief Commercial Officer charged with overseeing all activities relating to business development, including revenue management, sales and strategic partnerships, commercial planning, marketing and communications, customer experience (including the VIA Customer Centre), as well as product and service design. In this role, he was the architect of the customer-centric model that led to an impressive increase in ridership of 32 % between 2014 and 2019, which was a record year in three decades with over five million passengers.

Still One of Canada's Most Trusted Brands 
According to the 2022 Gustavson Brand Trust Index (GBTI), published in May by the University of Victoria's Gustavson School of Business, VIA Rail is the most trusted transportation company in Canada for the fourth consecutive year. In addition to having obtained a better overall ranking than last year, VIA Rail was recognized as one of the best employers for employee recognition ranking sixth out of 402 brands in the study.

VIA Rail also ranked first in two categories amongst transportation companies in the 2022 Canadian Reputation study published by Leger: as an employer of choice and as the most trusted carrier. The study also reveals that VIA Rail is the carrier that Canadians are most proud of, particularly because of its products and services, its Canadian origins, and its excellence in the field.

VIA Rail's 2022 second quarter report is available here.

About VIA Rail 
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail (viarail.ca) and all its employees are mandated to provide safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional, and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across Canada, and about 180 more communities through intermodal partnerships, and safely transported over 5 million passengers in 2019. The Corporation has been awarded nine Safety Awards and three Environment Awards by the Railway Association of Canada since 2005. Visit the "About VIA Rail" section at https://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail.

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SOURCE VIA Rail Canada Inc.