VIA Rail Canada has announced that passenger train service has resumed in northern Manitoba, between Gillam and Churchill, on December 2, 2018. Trains are once again traveling in both directions, according to the regular schedule that was in effect prior to the suspension of service in spring 2017.
Upon completion of the repairs and inspections that were required, the infrastructure owner, Arctic Gateway, confirmed that the track is now safe for passenger operations. The Gillam – Churchill route has been restored following the suspension of service in May 2017 after major flooding severely damaged the rails.
“We are very pleased to be able to once again offer passenger transport service throughout northern Manitoba. We understand the major inconveniences the interruption of this essential service may have caused the people living along the Winnipeg – Churchill route, and specially the Town of Churchill” said Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail. “The restoration of service will enable VIA Rail to continue to honour its commitment to remote communities, and enable those in northern Manitoba to hopefully return to a more normal life by being better connected, especially with the holiday season right around the corner. Moreover, the reopening of this Adventure route will satisfy visitors smitten by the vast landscapes of the area.”
VIA Rail invites customers to buy their tickets today online at viarail.ca/en or by phone by calling 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245) or 1 800 268-9503 (for persons who are hard of hearing).
Schedule as of Sunday, December 2, 2018*
| Train 693 | Train 691 | ||||
| Winnipeg | dep | 12:05 | Sun+Tue | ||
| The Pas | arr | 01:45 | Mon+Wed | ||
| dep | 02:30 | Mon+Wed | 02:30 | Fri | |
| Thompson | arr | 12:00 | Mon+Wed | 12:00 | Fri |
| dep | 17:00 | Mon+Wed | 17:00 | Fri | |
| Gillam | dep | 23:30 | Mon+Wed | 23:30 | Fri |
| Churchill | arr | 09:00 | Tue+Thu | 09:00 | Sat |
| Train 690 | Train 692 | ||||
| Churchill | dep | 19:30 | Tue | 19:30 | Thu+Sat |
| Gillam | dep | 05:30 | Wed | 05:30 | Fri+Sun |
| Thompson | arr | 11:30 | Wed | 11:30 | Fri+Sun |
| dep | 14:00 | Wed | 14:00 | Fri+Sun | |
| The Pas | arr | 23:30 | Wed | 23:30 | Fri+Sun |
| dep | 03:15 | Sat+Mon | |||
| Winnipeg | arr | 16:45 | Sat+Mon | ||
* Main stops only. Please visit viarail.ca for a full list of stops.
Image: Alex de Vries/The Canadian Press Files
