Toronto commuters are facing significant rush hour delays after the regional rail system suffered a “major disaster.”Network-wide system failure” on Tuesday due to an internet outage on Canadian National Railways.
The train running is GO train network Metrolinx, which operates a vast network of rail and bus services between Canada’s largest cities and their suburbs, said most were suspended.
Metrolinx said trains were running less frequently than usual to and from Union Station, Toronto’s central rail hub in the financial district, although it was gradually resuming service in the late afternoon. Outbound trains will run “approximately every 30 minutes,” spokeswoman Andrea Ernesak said in an email.
CN Railroad, which manages rail lines in the area including Union Station, said it was experiencing internet connectivity issues. “There is no indication of a cybersecurity issue, but the cause of the outage is currently under investigation,” spokesperson Jonathan Abecassis said in an email.
“GO trains in and out of Union Station, VIA trains, and CN’s customer service portal, all of which require internet connectivity to CN’s servers, are currently affected,” he said. “CN apologizes for this issue. We are working to keep all our services running safely and efficiently.” Via Rail operates intercity passenger services.
The situation left a large number of passengers stranded and frustrated. “This is supposed to be a world-class country,” said Eric Lehrer, who was waiting for a train east of downtown. “Is this world class to you?”
Southern Ontario’s Metrolinx network brings hundreds of thousands of passengers to Toronto’s downtown core every weekday. The agency also operates rail service between downtown and Pearson International Airport. Service was suspended for several hours on Tuesday, but service resumed shortly after 4 p.m.
CN Rail stock erased previous gains in Toronto, closing 2 cents lower at $145.44.
A system failure has occurred across the CN network, affecting all rail lines. The train is stopping at the nearest station. Our team is working with CN to resolve the issue quickly and safely. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
— Metrolinx (@Metrolinx) October 3, 2023
