Via Rail to spend $10.2 million to repair northern New Brunswick rail line

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The Via Rail station is seen in Halifax on June 13, 2013. Via Rail has named a new chief executive officer little more than a week after a senior federal cabinet minister called for new leadership at the Crown corporation. Yves Desjardins-Siciliano is taking over from Steve Del Bosco, who had been doing the job on an interim basis since the start of this year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

FREDERICTON – Via Rail has tentatively agreed to spend $10.2 million to repair tracks in northern New Brunswick used to provide passenger rail service to the Maritimes.

The deal would see repairs to a 70-kilometre stretch of track between Miramichi and Bathurst.

Federal Transport Minister Lisa Raitt says the funding means passenger service from Montreal to Halifax can continue three days a week in each direction.

CN was planning on abandoning the line and Via Rail had previously said it couldn’t afford to buy or maintain the stretch of track.

The agreement needs to be ratified by the boards of both Via Rail and CN, which owns the track.

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