CALGARY — The federal cabinet has granted VIA Rail an exemption from key accessibility regulations for new passenger rail cars, despite years of complaints, regulatory citations and a Supreme Court ruling that found shortcomings in the Crown corporation’s treatment of disabled travellers.Blacklock’s Reporter reports that cabinet order 2026-0690, recently made public, exempts VIA Rail from several requirements under federal accessibility regulations that would otherwise apply to new rail cars the company plans to purchase.The order states the exemption will cover requirements related to the width of aisles and certain doors, dimensions of exterior stairs, the size of standard washrooms and the positioning of toilets.VIA Rail did not comment on the exemption.Parliament passed Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act, in 2019 with the goal of creating a barrier-free Canada. The legislation requires federally regulated organizations, including VIA Rail, airports and Canada Post, to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. Organizations found in violation can face six-figure penalties and compensation awards of up to $20,000 for complainants. Full enforcement of the regulations is scheduled for 2040.The legislation followed years of accessibility complaints involving VIA Rail, including a landmark 2007 Supreme Court case brought by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.“The disabled community had to chase VIA all the way to the Supreme Court,” Toronto lawyer David Baker, who successfully argued the case, said in an earlier interview..VIA Rail’s cross-country train faces record subsidy costs and chronic delays .The Canadian Transportation Agency also cited VIA Rail in 2017 after a complaint from a Toronto couple who alleged passenger cars lacked adequate tie-down systems for mobility scooters.“They’ve got the staff, they’ve got it all, and the remarkable thing is, they still got it wrong,” Baker said.“It’s common sense.”VIA Rail pledged improvements in its 2018 Sustainable Mobility Report, saying it wanted travel for people with disabilities to be “easy, enjoyable and a truly personalized and authentic experience.”“We are committed to being at the forefront of accessible transportation for all travelers,” the report stated.“This means allowing people to move freely and access what they need.”Federal research has suggested accessibility barriers remain common. A 2020 Department of Social Development report found 38% of Canadians with disabilities regularly encounter obstacles in daily life.“Thirty-eight per cent mentioned mobility-related barriers to public transportation,” the report said.“Barriers to transportation could be a lack of accessible seating, additional space for support persons or service animals, or visual and audio indicators of stops.”
