Hello Reader,

Welcome back! How is your week going?

VIA Rail’s Big Year: Growth, Challenges & Bold Plans Ahead

• Ridership and Revenue Rise. In 2024, VIA Rail served 4.4 million passengers, representing an increase of approximately 6.6% from 2023, which boosted revenue by C$49.5 million (+11.5%) to reach C$480.2 million.
• Operational Hiccups Despite this growth, VIA encountered timing setbacks in the Québec City–Windsor corridor due to new infrastructure regulations imposed by CN. On-time performance fell significantly in Q4.
• VIAction 2030: A Vision for the Future VIA Rail has introduced a new five-year strategic plan—VIAction 2030—focused on customer-first service, reliability, integrated mobility, and sustainability.
• Modernized Fleet Rolling Out: New, Accessible Trains Are Already Operating in Southwestern Ontario, With Plans to Fully Refresh the Québec City–Windsor Corridor by Summer 2025.
• App Upgrade & National Investment: A redesigned mobile app was launched in 2024 to facilitate easier booking and trip management. Additionally, the federal budget included historic funding to replace VIA’s pan-Canadian long-distance fleet.

Why it matters to travelers:

• More travelers are choosing rail, signaling confidence in train travel, even as VIA works to fix on-time issues.
• Rolling out new trains and app improvements will make trips smoother and more comfortable.
• With significant government investment, VIA is set to refresh its long-distance services across Canada.

Stay tuned—VIA Rail is quickly improving, offering better experiences for both first-time and experienced travelers!

Berkshire Flyer Update

The Berkshire Flyer, a seasonal Amtrak train, began service on June 20th. However, during a routine inspection, an issue was found with the land surrounding the track infrastructure between Albany and Boston.

Because of this, infrastructure work is now required, and it’s not just the Flyer that’s affected. The Lake Shore Limited will also see service adjustments.

During the maintenance period, bus service will replace trains between Albany and Pittsfield to help keep travelers moving.

👉 Click here to see the latest updates on these routes.​

New Post On States Without Amtrak

My latest post might be interesting since I discuss how to travel on Amtrak; however, this post will explain where it's not available. There are four states that do not have Amtrak service, two of which you may know and two you might not.

​Discover the states with little or no Amtrak service.

What has Kev been up to?

While reviewing my travel plans for September, I realized I forgot one pretty important detail: booking a hotel room.

September is going to be a busy month. I will be flying back and forth to Florida to help take my mom to my sister's and bring her home, and I also have an exciting train adventure planned from the West to the East Coast.

To make things smoother, I decided to book a hotel room in Chicago. That way, I can take the train into the city the night before and get to O’Hare bright and early for my flight to Los Angeles.

From there, the fun begins:

• Southwest Chief to Chicago
• Floridian to Pittsburgh
• Pennsylvanian across Pennsylvania
• I am coming home via the Keystone and Cardinal.

Travel Tip: If you ever need to catch a train out of LA after flying in, there’s a convenient bus that runs from LAX to Los Angeles Union Station. It’s a great option to have in your travel toolkit.

Stay tuned—this one’s going to be a journey worth sharing!

The last few days of Kev's Patreon Birthday Sale

My Birthday Patreon complimentary sale is still on, where you'll get 48% off your first month!

Additionally, you'll receive a free postcard each month, along with other exclusive benefits. If you're interested, use code 605BD to get this sale and support my work. You can quit at any time.

Looking at the Markers 🚂

Thank you for reading this newsletter and reaching out—it means a great deal to me!

If you enjoy my work, consider supporting this free resource.​
You can visit my support page to learn how to help keep this train rolling, or click the green button at the bottom of this newsletter to pitch in.

Your support makes everything I do possible. Every little bit truly helps—and together, we’re inspiring more people to explore the world, one train trip at a time! 🚆✨

Until Next Week…

Happy planning and safe travels,
Kev Monteith