VIA Rail logged ridership, revenue gains in 2016

VIA Rail Canada Inc. last year moved 3,974,004 passengers, marking a 4.1 percent increase compared with 2015.

Passenger revenue rose 9.5 percent to 301 million Canadian dollars, according to the railroad's 2016 annual report. VIA Rail reported total revenue of CA$324.3 million compared with CA$275 million in 2015.

The railroad logged record-high ridership last summer, when it transported more than 926,000 riders, a 4.8 percent increase compared to summer 2015.

To grow ridership, VIA Rail added capacity on several trains on the Quebec City-Windsor corridor and adjusted its schedule to offer more flexibility.

"The end of 2016 marked our 11th straight quarter of revenue growth, and fourth consecutive quarter of increasing ridership," said VIA Rail President and Chief Executive Officer Yves Desjardins-Siciliano in a press release. "Passenger rail is a vital part of the fight against climate change for Canada, and it is encouraging to see that even more travelers made the smart choice to leave their cars at home and take the train last year."