New ‘early-morning’ trains get Ottawa passengers to Toronto before 9 a.m.

Commuters will soon be able to get from the nation’s capital to Toronto for 9 a.m.

Via Rail Canada is launching a new “early-morning” frequency train after passengers and stakeholders raised how beneficial it would be. 

Train 641 from Ottawa to Toronto will launch on May 27 and depart at 4:19 a.m. Monday to Thursday. It’s scheduled to arrive at Toronto’s Union Station at 8:48 a.m.

The train will stop at Fallowfield, Smiths Falls, Brockville, Kingston, Belleville, Cobourg and Port Hope, before ending in Toronto.

“In recent months, stakeholders and frequent passengers from eastern Ontario have emphasized the significance of early-morning VIA Rail services for their communities, and we took great care to listen and act on this feedback,” Mario Péloquin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Via Rail, said in a press release.

The company said it will “closely monitor” the public’s response to the changes.

Via Rail is also changing the frequency of another train to Toronto.

It said train 644 — which previously operated Friday to Sunday — will now run seven days a week as of May 27. 

This is to offer more midday travel options, the press release reads.

Passengers can now start booking trips using the new train times.