Via Rail CEO stepping down is now official, with Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon saying Via Rail President and CEO Mario Péloquin will step aside in mid-January after submitting his resignation, as reported by The Globe and Mail.

Via Rail CEO stepping down in mid-January: what’s next
Mario Péloquin, president and CEO of Via Rail.
DARREN CALABRESE/THE CANADIAN PRESS

MacKinnon said he has accepted Péloquin’s resignation letter and framed the move as a retirement after 41 years in the rail industry.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

In a statement released Tuesday, he thanked Péloquin for almost three years of “dedication and commitment” to Canada’s national passenger rail service and said he wished him success in his future endeavours.

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Péloquin took the job in June 2023 and was expected to serve a five-year term. Before joining Via Rail, he worked as chief operating officer at New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and later served as a senior vice-president at the former SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.

Via Rail CEO stepping down as Ottawa advances high-speed rail

The change at the top comes as the federal government says it will move ahead with high-speed rail projects, including Canada’s first high-speed rail network. Construction is set to begin in 2029, though the government has not made a final decision approving funding for the entire rail line.

Train breakdown near Brockville draws criticism

Via Rail also faced criticism last week after one of its trains broke down near Brockville, Ont., leaving hundreds of passengers stranded for hours. Speaking to reporters in Gatineau, Que., MacKinnon said he “wasn’t happy” with the company’s response and said he would sit down with officials to discuss how to do better.

“We have a public transportation system, Via Rail, that operates in a Canadian winter. There are going to be issues,” he said last week. “It’s how you deal with those issues when they arise … and I want to make sure Via is on a path of continuous improvement.”

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