Passes in celebration of Canada’s 150th sell out within 36 hours
In celebration of Canada’s sesquicentennial, Via Rail announced that it would be offering a deal on youth passes for $150, starting on March 28. These passes would allow for unlimited travel during the month of July on Via Rail’s network.
The Via Rail network includes stops in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Churchill, Jasper, and Vancouver. With an unlimited pass on the rails, pass holders could travel coast to coast, seeing all of Canada’s provinces and landscapes.
Young people between the ages of 12 and 25 were eligible to buy the pass, as were people aged 26 and older who had a valid International Student Identity Card. The passes were so popular that Via Rail’s website crashed later that day. According to CTV News, Via Rail assured people on social media that “there was an unlimited number of discounted passes available and they wouldn’t run out.”
On March 30, the passes went back on sale, but sold out within just 36 hours.
A news release on Via Rail’s website said that the interest in the passes was unprecedented and that the site experienced five times the usual volume of traffic, which caused the reservation system to crash.
Via Rail also said that they originally planned to make just 1867 passes available, to represent the year of Canada’s Confederation. “Due to the incredible demand, we extended the offer past the original commitment. More than 4000 Canadians purchased passes to travel across Canada,” the release stated. Via Rail cited limits on train capacity as the reason for the cap on the special passes.In light of the great dissatisfaction faced by many young Canadians who did not get to buy the discounted pass, Via Rail’s regular youth summer pass is still available. This pass, which is available every year, allows for unlimited travel for 60 days in the summer for $699.
An article on The Beaverton, meanwhile, has praised Via Rail for “exposing young Canadians to the nation’s rich tradition of being disappointed by Via Rail.”
Photo by Dana Bellamy/The Ontarion.