Via Rail cuts to Ocean line service head to court

A New Brunswick man is taking Via Rail to court for cutting service on its main Maritime route in half.

Widler Jules has filed an injunction in Quebec Superior Court to force the Crown corporation to restore the traffic on its Ocean line between Halifax and Montreal.

Cutting the service on that line was just one of many reductions Via introduced over the fall.

Communities in southwestern Ontario are also feeling the impact of fewer train stops and unstaffed stations, and some cities in New Brunswick have also been left without bus service.

Via says it was forced to make the cuts because of low ridership in certain areas.

Jules argues that Via is violating the Canada Transportation Act that refers to enabling economic growth in both rural and urban areas.