Via Rail passenger recounts 10-hour delay after train breaks down on its way to Quebec City

Rudy El Maghariki and his sister, who is visiting Canada, were among the many passengers stranded for about 10 hours on a Via Rail train bound for Quebec City.

"So, she came to enjoy and relax that was not a relaxing trip," El Maghariki said in an interview.

According to Via Rail, the train broke down between Montreal and Quebec City after experiencing two consecutive mechanical issues.

El Maghariki recounted they boarded the train at 8:30 on Saturday morning, and at around 11 a.m., it broke down just shy of its final destination.

Normally, a train between Montreal and Quebec City takes about 3 hours.

To make matters worse, El Maghariki said the train did not have electricity for about 90 minutes.

 "They stopped the air conditioning on and off. When they stopped the air conditioning, the washrooms didn't work, so we couldn't use the washroom."

Via rail said that electricity, air conditioning and washrooms were shut down at times to allow for repairs and coupling with another train.

Moreover, the company said no buses were available in the region to offer alternative transportation.

As the hours passed, El Maghariki said that tensions escalated on the train.

"At that time, we started losing our patience. I mean, we've been 8 hours on the train. People had diabetes. People were angry, older people, babies," El Maghariki said.

Video footage of the incident circulating on social media shows a Via Rail employee appearing to snatch a passenger's phone out of his hands.

"We are committed to always ensuring that all passengers are treated with respect and dignity," a spokesperson for Via Rail said in a statement.

"The incident in which an employee took the phone out of the hands of a passenger will be the subject of a thorough investigation and appropriate measures will be taken based on the findings of the review."  

Via Rail said passengers were offered drinks, snacks, and a meal delivered on board.

But according to El Maghariki, when snacks were finally being offered there was nothing left because passengers had bought what was what was on board.

Finally, around 9 p.m., the fire department was called to help transfer passengers to another train. By the time it arrived in Quebec City, El Maghariki and his sister had been travelling for nearly 14 hours.

On X, Canada's Transport Minister, Pablo Rodriguez, said passengers deserve better. The minister said he would be meeting with Via Rail's leadership next week.

"VIA Rail understands this unfortunate situation impacted the travel plan of its passengers and offers its deepest apologies for the inconvenience caused. Impacted passengers will be compensated with a full refund and a 100% travel credit."

However, El Maghariki said it was not enough.

"I doubt if I will take Via Rail anymore. I will drive six hours. I will fly with airlines. I will pay more money to get a better service," he said.

In the meantime, El Maghariki already booked his return ticket to Montreal and said he hopes the journey home will stay on track.