All Aboard! Accessible design on VIA Rail’s new fleet

In 2022, VIA Rail published its first Accessibility Plan, in keeping with requirements set forth by the Accessible Canada Act. In the plan, VIA acknowledges the barriers faced by clients with disabilities and outlines a series of actions that will help create a more welcoming, comfortable, and dignified experience for all its passengers. While developing the plan was a new requirement, Via had already been giving serious thought to accessibility for several years.

In 2020, Via adopted a universal accessibility policy, and the company committed to identifying and removing barriers in direct response to ongoing feedback from customers with disabilities. To learn more about VIA’s experience, Chief Accessibility Officer Stephanie Cadieux met with their Senior Universal Accessibility Advisor Catherine Langlois, to discuss the process that would ultimately lead to the development and launch of a new, more accessible fleet.

“Individual needs vary a lot, but everyone should have access to the same level of service, the same commodities and amenities, whether or not they live with a disability, said Langlois. “So when the time came to renew our fleet between Quebec City and Windsor, Ontario – where 80% of our ridership is located – we knew we wanted to provide better service and that accessibility had to be factored into the design process from the outset.”

Recognizing that they wouldn’t get it right unless they learned directly from people with disabilities, the company consulted with organizations including the Canadian Council of the Blind, Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, Canadian Hearing Services, the Rick Hansen Foundation, the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Autism Canada, the Canadian Association of the Deaf, the non-profit accessible travel consulting group Kéroul, and others. Focus groups were asked to start with a blank slate and imagine a fully accessible train – and to dream big. It turned out to be a valuable learning experience for all involved.

“It was a first – bringing all these ideas and people together,” explains Langlois.  “It proves how important it is to do consultations from the get-go, rather than wait for the process to start, because every time you modify a plan, there’s a cost. Even a matter of two inches can make a difference when it comes to accessibility, and it can enter in conflict with other priorities. So if you only start to consider accessibility halfway through, it won’t work.”

The approach paid off, and in 2023, Via began rolling out its new fleet in the Quebec-Windsor Corridor. The rollout, which will include 32 new cars, will continue through 2024. Crucially, consultation has continued throughout the process. Once the cars had been constructed, Via invited people with disabilities to visit the new cars at the Ottawa train station for a last round of comments to ensure they got as much right as possible.

“Accessibility is complex,” says Langlois. “Even universal design doesn’t necessarily mean perfect, it means what will work best for most.  Individual needs are sometimes very different and can conflict with one another. What works perfectly for someone with a mobility device may not work for someone with visual impairment, so continuous conversation and consultation is important. I’m very proud of the accessible features we’ve been able to incorporate.”

The new cars include larger spaces to accommodate wheelchairs and service dogs, adjustable tables, braille and tactile signage, accessible washrooms, and integrated lifts in every car, and visual as well as audio announcements for passengers.

“Accessibility has really become part of VIA’s DNA,” Langlois concludes. “I’m noticing a culture change. For instance, I receive calls from other organisations embarking on this type of work, asking for advice and best practices to help them make sure they get it right. Those conversations are happening a lot more now than they were even five years ago.”

A soft launch of the new fleet took place in the spring of 2023, on cars travelling between Ottawa to Montreal. As rollout continues, so does consultation. “Remaining open to feedback and continuing to improve is key. For accessibility to succeed, we have to be willing to keep asking questions, taking the answers we get seriously, and encouraging others to do the same.”

More information about the accessibility features of VIA’s Fleet Replacement Program is available on their website.