Passengers said the train stopped near Ingersoll around 10:30 p.m. for five hours before many were transferred to a bus that took them to London. But people traveling beyond London had to wait longer for another train to arrive at stations in Chatham-Kent and Windsor. CBC News reached out to VIA Rail for an interview but did not receive a response.
Toilets are not working
Rana Al-Khulaidi was expected to arrive in Windsor at 11:45 p.m. from Toronto, but said she did not reach her destination until 8:30 a.m. the next day. “I’m telling you, there are a lot of us. They’re getting stressed, they’re screaming, they’re yelling and they’re sick of it,” he said of the delay. A VIA railroad employee walks through a train that sat for hours with passengers and no power just outside Ingersoll. (Submitted by Johanna Thompson) He said passengers sat on the train without power for hours. “There is no electricity, no toilet to use. And then there is no AC. I felt stressed,” said Al-Khulaidi, who usually drives her car but took the train to relax. “I wish I hadn’t.”
London-bound travelers get buses, extra delays for Windsor, Chatham passengers
Johanna Thompson was on the train traveling back to her home just outside Chatham, a trip that usually takes about three hours, she said.
This trip took 12 hours.
“As the night went on, people realized they were going to be late for work, school,” said Thompson, who believed the train was almost full of travelers.
“There was a lot of uncertainty.”
Thompson said the power went out at one point during the delay and the bathrooms were “gross and smelly” shortly after the train stopped.
—@dhaval591995 Buses that arrived five hours after the delay were only used for passengers traveling to London, he said. “About then they said there’s a train coming to pick you up from Oakville in two hours and I thought how in five hours they’re just sending someone for the rest of us now.” Al-Khulaidi said staff told Windsor-bound passengers “you have to wait because you are too far”. “We look at them and we said, we can get another bus, take us to Windsor,” he said. “I do not understand it”. The staff is praised, the company hit Thompson said the staff on the train were excellent to work with. “The people working on the train did their best and were amazing,” Thompson said. He said he is reluctant to take the train again. “I know it’s such a random incident, but I don’t feel confident in their ability to react quickly and decisively in these situations.” Al-Khulaidi said she was offered a free ticket by VIA Rail as compensation for the trip interruption. “Who will use the VIA Rail ticket when you have this experience?” he said.
Buses that arrived five hours after the delay were only used for passengers traveling to London, he said.
“About then they said there’s a train coming to pick you up from Oakville in two hours and I thought how in five hours they’re just sending someone for the rest of us now.”
Al-Khulaidi said staff told Windsor-bound passengers “you have to wait because you are too far”.
“We look at them and we said, we can get another bus, take us to Windsor,” he said.
“I do not understand it”.
The staff is praised, the company hit
Thompson said the staff on the train were excellent to work with. “The people working on the train did their best and were amazing,” Thompson said. He said he is reluctant to take the train again. “I know it’s such a random incident, but I don’t feel confident in their ability to react quickly and decisively in these situations.” Al-Khulaidi said she was offered a free ticket by VIA Rail as compensation for the trip interruption. “Who will use the VIA Rail ticket when you have this experience?” he said.
